Cottage Lake
Becker County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Cottage Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Cottage Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L.
Cottage Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Cottage Lake ranks #42 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Cottage Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cottage Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Cottage Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Cottage Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Cottage Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Cottage Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Sep (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 43 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cottage Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cottage Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Cottage Lake
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Fishing Cottage Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.69 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.25 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Cottage Lake
Where is Cottage Lake?
- Cottage Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cottage Lake?
- Cottage Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L.
Is Cottage Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Cottage Lake?
- Cottage Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 43 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Can I fish at Cottage Lake?
- Public access to Cottage Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Cottage Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
22 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA22 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.