Cottonwood County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 7 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
Cottonwood County has 7 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. The county-wide average grade is D — water quality issues are persistent across most of the monitored basins. 1 lakes fall into the F bracket outright.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Bingham Lake (C) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Cottonwood County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Bingham Lake, whether the fish are safe to eat, and the best times to fish — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Cottonwood County
DNR Reports (13)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Cottonwood County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StringFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MountainFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CottonwoodFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BinghamFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BinghamFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BinghamPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CottonwoodFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CottonwoodPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Double (North Portion)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MountainFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MountainPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — StringFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StringPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Cottonwood County
7 lakes · 3 graded, 4 not rated3 graded lakes · 4 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CBingham LakeCottonwood | C | 4 ft | 46.5 µg/L | 5.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public |
| 2 | DCottonwood LakeCottonwood | D | 2.1 ft | 60 µg/L | 18.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | FMountain LakeCottonwood | F | 1.2 ft | 123.5 µg/L | 33.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRLong LakeCottonwood | NR | 1 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRString LakeCottonwood | NR | 0.3 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 3.8 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRDouble LakeCottonwood | NR | 1 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRTalcot LakeCottonwood | NR | 0.2 ft | 367 µg/L | 193 µg/L | No recent samples | 6 ft | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Cottonwood County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.