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226-acre reservoir near Otter Tail County. The lake tops out around 32 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The outline encloses 226 acres, worked by 6.3 miles of shoreline. An index of 3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Roughly 83% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 2.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.5 mi at the beam. Otter Tail County claims this one. If the bite dies, Orwell is 3 mi to the southwest.
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 32 ft, wintering in 10 to 32 ft. Fall walleye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 14 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (27 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 32 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (27 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (27 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 32 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 32 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 20 ft before dropping to 12 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in summer. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Otter Tail River - Dayton Hollow Reservoir also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 27 ft, is the deepest of them.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Walleye (fry) | 139,000 | — |
| 2024* | Walleye (fry) | 212,000 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Otter Tail River - Dayton Hollow Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Otter Tail River - Dayton Hollow Reservoir is about 32 ft (10 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp on Otter Tail River - Dayton Hollow Reservoir.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Otter Tail River - Dayton Hollow Reservoir was most recently stocked 2025 with 139,000 walleye (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Otter Tail River - Dayton Hollow Reservoir is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Orwell 3 mi · Iverson 4 mi · Pebble 4 mi · Wright 6 mi · Swan 6 mi · Hoot 6 mi · Wall 8 mi · Indian 8 mi · Spring 8 mi · Rose 8 mi · North Ten Mile 10 mi · Oscar 10 mi
See how Otter Tail River - Dayton Hollow Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Otter Tail County fishing maps (156 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.