See all 4 routes on Otter Tail River
Minnesota | West Central Minnesota
Otter Tail RiverPhelps Mill County Park to West Lost Lake
Short MN DNR Phelps Mill-to-West-Lost-Lake outing that gives the Otter Tail inventory a clearly bounded beginner-length alternative above the longer West Red River Lake card.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route map.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch from Phelps Mill County Park and take out at West Lost Lake for DNR Map 2's short Otter Tail section. The route is gentle, but dam-portage context, low-water obstructions, and lake wind still need same-day checks.
Access map
Put-in
Phelps Mill County Park carry-in accessMinnesota DNR lists Phelps Mill as a carry-in access with a natural surface and directs paddlers to portage across the park lawn and launch west of the parking area. Otter Tail County says there is no conventional boat-launch facility, so expect to hand-carry a boat to the river and check current park construction/closure notices.
Take-out
West Lost Lake Public Water Access SiteStay clear of the Phelps Mill dam and use only the DNR-described portage and landing; do not improvise an above-dam launch.
Road shuttle
Use the short Otter Tail County shuttle between Phelps Mill County Park and the West Lost Lake DNR access. This card intentionally ends at West Lost Lake for a shorter official outing than the longer Phelps-Mill-to-West-Red-River-Lake route.
Additional access notes
- West Lost Lake resolves as DNR access WAS02421 at river mile 81.4 with no restroom listed in the public-water-access record.
- The Elizabeth gauge is downstream of this short route, so it is a corridor indicator rather than a direct reading at West Lost Lake.
More route and safety guidance
- Inspect bridge, culvert, and obstruction conditions because DNR warns these constrictions can have fast current or little headroom.
- Wind and boat traffic on West Lost Lake can matter more than current near the take-out.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampundefined provides a current paddling-level interpretation; Paddle Today does not turn the source hydrograph image into trend samples.
Detailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official routePhelps Mill Park to West Lost Lake, 3.5 river miles
MN DNR Otter Tail Map 2 highlights Phelps Mill Park to West Lost Lake as a short recommended section from river mile 85.0 to about 81.5.
- Public access recordsWAS00559 to WAS02421
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Phelps Mill and West Lost Lake with coordinates, administrators, and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands100 / 300-700 / 1200 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Elizabeth gauge as Scrapable below 100 cfs, Low from 100 to 300, Medium from 300 to 700, High from 700 to 1200, and Very High above 1200.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-16359 cfs at 2026-07-16 07:00 PM
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- HazardsDam/portage, obstructions, low water, and lake wind
DNR Otter Tail materials warn paddlers to review dam, culvert, bridge, obstruction, low-water, and windy-lake conditions before paddling this water trail.
- Wikimedia Commons endpoint imagePhelps Mill / Otter Tail River, CC BY-SA 2.0
The existing rights-clean Phelps Mill endpoint photo is reused as route-gallery context for this short segment.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Otter Tail River
All 4Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.