Elbow (Bass) Lake is a 189-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately two miles west of the city of Battle Lake, MN. The immediate watershed consists primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. Elbow Lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet and 42% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Main lake shoreline substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. The substrate in the north bay is predominantly muck. The secchi disk reading, a measure of water clarity, was 16.0 feet in 2005. Readings in previous surveys have ranged from 15.0 to 24.0 feet. A DNR owned concrete public access is located on the northwest shoreline. Elbow Lake is included in class 28 of the MN DNR lake classification scheme. Moderate development exists around the lake. Emergent vegetation (bulrush, cattails, and wild rice) exists in various areas throughout the lake. Emergent plants are important because they provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines from erosion and can even absorb and breakdown pollutants from the water. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish species such as northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish. They also are important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological importance, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. Elbow Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Elbow Lake contains good populations of northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass, black crappie, and bluegill. The northern pike population has remained at a moderate density in all of the surveys conducted. Pike are of good average size with 56% of the fish > 24 inches in length. Pike ranged in length from 13.9 to 31.2 inches with an average length and weight of 24.2 inches and 3.4 pounds. The black crappie catch rate has increased from previous surveys. Crappies ranged in length from 5.4 to 12.6 inches with an average length and weight of 9.1 inches and 0.5 pounds. Sixty-four percent of the crappies were at least 9.0 inches in length. The 2001 year class appears to be strong and should provide consistently good crappie fishing for several years. The bluegill catch rate is down from previous surveys but is within the normal range for lake class 28. The number of fish 7.0 inches or greater in length has increased from previous surveys. Twenty-nine percent of the bluegills were at least 7.0 inches in length. A spring electrofishing assessment in 2005 documented a high abundance of largemouth bass. Bass ranged in length from 4.1 to 16.6 inches with an average length and weight of 10.7 and 0.8 pounds. Age data indicate that bass reproduction is consistently good. This is an indication that there is good largemouth bass spawning habitat present in the lake. The walleye population remains fairly stable and the catch rate is equivalent to the upper limit of the normal range for lake class 28. Walleye ranged in length from 15.8 to 29.0 inches with an average length and weight of 21.2 inches and 2.9 pounds. The strongest year classes have corresponded to years when walleye fingerlings and/or yearlings were stocked. Beginning in 2006, the walleye fingerling stocking rate will be doubled. Anglers can maintain the quality of angling by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future.