Orwell Lake Water Level
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Minnesota
Latest reading Oct 26, 5:00 PM · elevation
Orwell Lake is 0.2 ft below full pool today (1,064.33 ft vs 1,064.50 ft), 0.2 ft higher than a year ago. It is 98% full. It has risen 0.02 ft since yesterday and is up 0.38 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReading
Orwell Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 6:49 PM ETLake 0.2 ft below full pool and steady, moderate ENE wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 8:15 AM–9:15 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 46°F / low 39°FCloudy
- WindModerate ENE9–10 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 17
- Level0.2 ft below full poolLevel steady (+0.02 ft in 24 h)
Main species
- Walleye
- Northern pike
- Yellow perch
- Black crappie
- Bluegill
- Smallmouth bass
- Channel catfish
- Black bullhead
- Yellow bullhead
- Bowfin
Source: Minnesota DNR — game and panfish caught in the DNR 2023 Targeted Survey, as published on the MN DNR LakeFinder: Orwell (Otter Tail Co.).
Official Minnesota fishing info: Minnesota DNR — Fishing info & LakeFinder
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:57 AM · Sunset 6:18 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:06 AM–2:06 AM
- Moon underfoot12:34 PM–2:34 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset8:15 AM–9:15 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:42 PM–6:42 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:06 AM–2:06 AM · 12:34 PM–2:34 PM Minor 8:15 AM–9:15 AM · 5:42 PM–6:42 PM Moderate wind 9–10 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:02 AM–3:02 AM · 1:32 PM–3:32 PM Minor 9:39 AM–10:39 AM · 6:18 PM–7:18 PM Light wind 8–12 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:03 AM–4:03 AM · 2:35 PM–4:35 PM Minor 11:00 AM–12:00 PM · 7:06 PM–8:06 PM Light wind 6–8 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:07 AM–5:07 AM · 3:40 PM–5:40 PM Minor 12:12 PM–1:12 PM · 8:08 PM–9:08 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:12 AM–6:12 AM · 4:43 PM–6:43 PM Minor 1:09 PM–2:09 PM · 9:22 PM–10:22 PM Light wind 5–9 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:14 AM–7:14 AM · 5:43 PM–7:43 PM Minor 1:52 PM–2:52 PM · 10:43 PM–11:43 PM Moderate wind 8–12 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:11 AM–7:11 AM · 5:38 PM–7:38 PM Minor 1:24 PM–2:24 PM · 11:03 PM–12:03 AM Light wind 7–12 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 2 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 46.22, -96.18 (moon times from astronomical equations, Orwell Lake local time).
Weather & wind at Orwell Lake
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon46° / 39°CloudyWind E 10 mphRain 97%
- Tuesday52° / 39°Chance Light Rain then CloudyWind SE 8 to 12 mphRain 34%
- Wednesday59° / 35°Light RainWind S 8 mphRain 81%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 46.217, -96.178 (grid FGF), issued Oct 26, 5:36 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Past 12 months
daily readings from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- Today1,064.33 ft
- Same date last year1,064.17 ft+0.2 ft change
- 12-month high1,064.90 ftJul 1, 2026
- 12-month low1,063.76 ftJun 15, 2026
- Full pool1,064.50 ftUSACE
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,064.33 | +0.03 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,064.30 | +0.02 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,064.28 | +0.04 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,064.24 | +0.06 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,064.18 | +0.11 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,064.07 | +0.06 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,064.01 | +0.01 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,064.00 | −0.12 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,064.12 | −0.13 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,064.25 | −0.04 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
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Guides
All guides →About this data
- Source
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Orwell Dam
- Location
- 46.2167, -96.1778 · Minnesota
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 5:00 PM local time
- History
- 398 days on file since 2025-09-22
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 6:49 PM ET
- Full pool
- 1,064.50 ft — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Top of Conservation)
- Storage
- 8,583 of 8,725 acre-ft (Top of Conservation)
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.