Cottonwood Lake vs Yankton Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Yankton Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Cottonwood Lake. Both are in Lyon County, Minnesota.
Cottonwood Lake and Yankton Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The readings are close: Cottonwood Lake and Yankton Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Cottonwood Lake
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility.
Yankton Lake
Very murky, less than 0.8 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cottonwood Lake | Yankton Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 1.8 ft Better | 0.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 154.5 µg/L | 98 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 64.5 µg/L | 20.3 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 7 ft | 8 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 383 acres | 403 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | hypereutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Yankton Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Cottonwood Lake. Water clarity: 0.8 ft vs 1.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Yankton Lake also leads with 15 species.
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Where to stay near Cottonwood Lake and Yankton Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Cottonwood Lake and Yankton Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Cottonwood Lake and Yankton Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.