Cottonwood County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 6 lakes, average grade F (Very Poor)
Cottonwood County has 6 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 average is F — the most-stressed bracket in our rubric. Most monitored lakes here show persistent nutrient loading and algal pressure.
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 (D) is the cleanest in the county.
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.
DNR Reports (13)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Cottonwood County. Showing 12 most recent — browse all reports →
- —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
All Lakes in Cottonwood County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Max Depth | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bingham Lake | D | 4 ft | 10 ft | 73.5 µg/L |
| 2 | Cottonwood Lake | D | 3.9 ft | 10 ft | 86 µg/L |
| 3 | Long Lake | F | 1 ft | - | - |
| 4 | String Lake | F | 0.3 ft | 3.8 ft | - |
| 5 | Double Lake | F | 1 ft | - | - |
| 6 | Mountain Lake | F | 1.2 ft | 8 ft | 148.5 µg/L |
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.