Physical Geography of Lake Ocheda

Lake Ocheda is a lake located in Nobles County

Nobles County, Minnesota

Nobles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 21,378. Its county seat is Worthington.-Geography:...

, three miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

Worthington, Minnesota

Worthington is a city in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 12,764 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nobles County.The city's site was first settled in the 1870s as Okabena Station on a line of the Chicago, St...

. The lake is a long, narrow, body of water that extends east to west for approximately 5½ miles. The width varies from a few hundred yards, to a bit over 1/2 mile. Lake Ocheda is divided into three natural sections, West Ocheda, the Middle Bay, and East Ocheda. The three sections are connected to one another by two narrow channels of water. The average lake depth is less than three feet. The maximum depth is only about five feet, though it was much deeper in years past. An 1882 geology report prepared by the State of Minnesota indicates that the lake once had a maximum depth of 20 feet. Local residents attribute the decrease in depth to erosion from surrounding farm lands. Lake Ocheda is managed by the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District.

First Settlers

The first permenant settlers on Lake Ocheda were Ole Fauskee and his family. Ole migrated from Norway to the United States in 1867 when he was 25 years old. He was travelling through southwest Minnesota with his brother when his ox team gave out. He liked the country he saw, and on June 8, 1870, he and his brother walked all the way to Jackson, Minnesota

Jackson, Minnesota

Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,299 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County.-Geography:...

, to file claims. Ole Fauskee claimed the northwest quarter of section 6 of Indian Lake Township

Indian Lake Township, Minnesota

Indian Lake Township is a township in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 259 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water...

, and his brother made an adjacent claim. This was before the railroad had come to Nobles County, and the only other permenant settlements in the county were in the vicinity of Graham Lakes

Graham Lakes, Minnesota

-Graham Lakes:The Graham Lakes are a pair of lakes located in the northeastern corner of Nobles County, Minnesota. The lakes are known as West Graham Lake and East Graham Lake. West Graham Lake is an oval shaped body of water that extends east-to-west slightly more than one mile . The...

 and Indian Lake

Indian Lake, Minnesota

-Indian Lake:Indian Lake is a small lake located in Indian Lake Township, Nobles County. The lake is an oblong body of water that extends north-to-south for approximately 3/4 mile. The width is approximately 1/2 mile. The lake area is . The average depth is , and the maximum depth is...

. Fauskee erected a sod hut on the banks of East Lake Ocheda and lived there for five years. He also claimed the northeast quarter of section 12 of Bigelow Township

Bigelow Township, Minnesota

Bigelow Township is a township in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 384 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water...

. Fauskee eventually built a home of lumber there, and prospered as a farmer.

Public Access to Lake Ocheda

There are two public access points on the lake. The first is Pickeral County Park, a Nobles County Park located on the northwestern shore of West Ocheda. The second is another Nobles County Park located where a highway bridge crosses the channel between the Middle Bay and East Ocheda. This is known as Sportsman's Park. Both parks are popular with local fishermen.

Fishing in Lake Ocheda

Despite being very shallow, Lake Ocheda is well-stocked with several varieties of fish. Black Bullheads and Yellow Bullheads are abundant. Black Crappies and White crappies are also very common, as are orangspotted sunfish and yellow perch. The lake is stocked yearly with northern pike and yellow perch because these species can tolerate low oxygen-levels better than other game species. Ocheda Lake is a very shallow lake and it often experiences low oxygen during the winter. Complete winterkills of northern pike and yellow perch have never been documented. The northern pike population has done quite well for the last six years. Northern pike numbers have remained near average for lakes similar to Ocheda Lake. Northern pike lengths ranged from 16.5 to 30.0 inches.