Bingham Lake
Bingham Lake in Cottonwood County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 269.75 acres.
- Clarity
- 4 ft
- Typical in August
- 76°F
- Max depth
- 10 ft
- Area
- 270 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Cottonwood County
Bingham Lake is a 270-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cottonwood County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet (8-foot average). Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Cottonwood County, Bingham Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-26. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Bingham Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. Phosphorus level: 46.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 55.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 46.5 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 55 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Bingham Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bingham Lake in Cottonwood County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Bingham Lake
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Bingham Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Jun (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 33 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bingham Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bingham Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (35,975 cells/mL) on November 29, 2024.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 10 ft |
| Average Depth | 8 ft |
| Surface Area | 270 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bingham LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bingham Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-09-16 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 550.74 | — |
| Black Bullhead | 132.94 | 0.29 lb |
| JND | 67.66 | — |
| SUN | 50.67 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 15.47 | 0.31 lb |
| Walleye | 8.11 | 1.65 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Walleye
From the 2022-09-16 survey
Bingham Lake is a 269-acre lake, located in Cottonwood County. Since 2018, Bingham Lake has been included in a research project that is evaluating the performance of two strains of Walleye, the Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) and the Mississippi Strain (MIS). However, during 2020, no stocking was done as no Walleye…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bingham Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota 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
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.154 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -40.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -23.7 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Bingham Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN17-0007-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Bingham Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Poet Biorefining - Bingham LakeBingham Lake · 1.7 mi away · NPDES MN0063118Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Cottonwood County
Nearby Lakes in Cottonwood County
Frequently asked questions about Bingham Lake
What is the water quality grade for Bingham Lake?
- Bingham Lake in Cottonwood County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 269.75 acres.
Is Bingham Lake safe to swim in?
- Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Bingham Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 5.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Bingham Lake?
- Bingham Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in August, from 33 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bingham Lake?
- Bingham Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 269.75 acres.
What fish are in Bingham Lake?
- Fish species found in Bingham Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch. Bingham Lake is located in Cottonwood County, Minnesota.
Does Bingham Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bingham Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (35,975 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Bingham Lake?
- Bingham Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bingham Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Bingham Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Cottonwood County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Minnesota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Minnesota Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Bingham Lake
Other Grade C Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
150 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA150 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory