Bad Medicine Lake vs Cotton Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bad Medicine Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Cotton Lake (B, Good). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
A
Bad Medicine Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 25 ft down.
B
Cotton Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bad Medicine Lake | Cotton Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 25 ft | 11.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 6 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 84 ft | 28 ft |
| Surface Area | 803.03 acres | 1.8K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 15 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Bad Medicine Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Cotton Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 25 ft vs 11.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Cotton Lake edges ahead with 15 documented species.