Where is Cotton Lake?

Cotton Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Cotton Lake?

Cotton Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 1759 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Cotton Lake?

Cotton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cotton Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Cotton Lake?

Cotton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.

Cotton Lake

Becker County, Minnesota1,759 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.

Max depth

28 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

1,759 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

8.5 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
28 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Cotton Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 1759 acres.

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Cotton Lake is a 1,759-acre lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Cotton Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Big water1,759 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cotton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Cotton 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.

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Water quality measurements for Cotton Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Cotton Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Cotton Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

28 ft

Surface area

1,759 acres

Shoreline

8.5 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

The depth above comes from a bathymetric survey of this lake, not from a regional estimate.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Cotton LakePublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

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Stays near Cotton Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cotton Lake in Becker 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 Cotton Lake

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Fishing Cotton Lake

→ Cotton Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Cotton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN03-0286-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Becker County

Cotton Lake11.5 ft clear0.2 miView →Little Cotton Lake1.5 miView →South Tamarac Lake6 ft clear · Mesotrophic1.7 miView →Pickerel Lake18 ft clear · Oligotrophic1.7 miView →Perch Lake14.5 ft clear—View →Hanson Lake1.7 miView →

Frequently asked questions about Cotton Lake

Where is Cotton Lake?: Cotton 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 Cotton Lake?: Cotton Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 1759 acres.
Is Cotton Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cotton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cotton Lake?: Cotton Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 1759 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Cotton Lake?: Cotton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cotton Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Cotton Lake?: Cotton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.