Some Amazing Facts on Otter Tail County and West Battle Lake

What an amazing area to live in! Otter Tail County is in west central Minnesota and is the eighth largest county by area in the State of Minnesota and over 11% of it is covered by water! With 1,048 lakes within its borders, Otter Tail County has more lakes than any other county in the United States! The County had a 2020 population of 60,081 and a population density of approximately 29 people per square mile. Otter Tail County is home to two state parks including Maplewood and Glendalough, and Phelps Mill County Park. 

Native Americans used the area for hunting and fishing, and had permanent dwelling sites. Two Native American tribes were in constant conflict. The Dakota (Sioux) were being pushed from their home area by the Ojibwa (Chippewa) during the late 18th and early 19th centuries – one big battle was between East Battle Lake and West Battle Lake, hence the source of their lake names! Burial mounds and artifacts can still be found. Some of the oldest Native American remains were found near Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. The remains, nicknamed Minnesota Girl, were dated at about 11,000 BC.

Thanks for checking out the WBLLA Website for aerial photos of West Battle Lake and the local area.  It is amazing to see all the lakes from the air . . . at times flying over it, it seems there are large bodies of water connected by just small areas of land – incredible to see!

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