Minnesota · Otter Tail County

Middle Leaf Lake Fishing guide

Middle Leaf Lake sits in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, and covers 404 acres, reaching 43 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 43 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface404 ac

Max depth43 ft

Clarity8.2 ft

Littoral45%

Surveyed2022

How to fish Middle Leaf Lake through the year

Northern pike

Spring: Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
Early summer: Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
Summer: Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 43 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
Early summer: Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
Summer: Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 43 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.

Size history

Biggest fish by survey year

Survey year	Northern pike	Walleye	Largemouth bass
2022	31"	27"	15"
2017	31"	27"	16"
2010	30"	26"	15"
2004	30"	28"	15"
1999	27"	22"	14"

Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.

Suggested tackle

What to bring

Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Muskie & pike

Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)

10" soft rubber body bait

3–25 ftslow

Shop musky rubber →

Walleye · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Largemouth bass · Hardbaits

Topwater Popper

2.5–3" concave-face popper

0–8 ftdead slow

Shop poppers →

Largemouth bass · Hardbaits

Hollow-Body Frog

3–3.5" hollow-body frog

0–6 ftslow

Shop hollow-body frogs →

Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

DNR stocking records

Stocking history

Year	Species	Stocked
2025	Walleye	3,000 fingerlings
2024	Walleye	181,000 fry
2023	Walleye	100,000 fry
2022	Walleye	181,000 fry
2021	Walleye	181,000 fry
2019	Walleye	400 fingerlings
2018	Walleye	181,000 fry
2016	Walleye	398 adults

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2022 survey

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Middle Leaf Lake was conducted on July 20, 2022 by Fergus Falls Area Fisheries Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations, but two stations were moved a short distance due to site conditions and two stations were sampled by boat electrofishing. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample two stations, a 15-foot seine was used at five stations, and soft sediments and abundant vegetation prevented the use of seines at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter and Logperch) and two species that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish).

The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a July 2022 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter and Logperch), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.

Read the full DNR narrative

Results from this survey indicate the fish community of Middle Leaf Lake is affected by disturbance as indicated by a FIBI score below the threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Leaf River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Middle Leaf Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Middle Leaf Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Otter Tail County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Middle Leaf Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Middle Leaf Lake depth map

Middle Leaf Lake depth contour map, Otter Tail County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 43 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

East Leaf Lake · 423 ac · 1.6 mi
West Leaf Lake · 700 ac · 1.9 mi
Portage (main bay) Lake · 269 ac · 3.7 mi
Donalds Lake · 166 ac · 4.7 mi
Buchanan Lake · 964 ac · 5.8 mi
Rush Lake · 5,276 ac · 6.7 mi
Round Lake · 273 ac · 8.5 mi
Ethel Lake · 191 ac · 8.5 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Middle Leaf Lake?

Middle Leaf Lake reaches 43 ft at its deepest point; about 45% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Middle Leaf Lake?

Middle Leaf Lake covers 404 acres with about 4.4 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Middle Leaf Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Middle Leaf Lake average 8.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Middle Leaf Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Middle Leaf Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.

Does Middle Leaf Lake have a public access?

Yes. Middle Leaf Lake has one public access site: Middle Leaf Lake (trailer launch).

How big do northern pike get in Middle Leaf Lake?

The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 31"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1999.

When was Middle Leaf Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Middle Leaf Lake in 2022, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Middle Leaf Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Middle Leaf Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report