Little Cormorant Lake
Becker County, Minnesota1,067 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Cormorant Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Cormorant Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 1066.73 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2023 caught 0.67 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Little Cormorant Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Little Cormorant Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Little Cormorant Lake is a 1,067-acre lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet (17-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Cormorant Lake covers about 1,100 acres in Becker County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 13, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Little Cormorant Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Little Cormorant Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,067 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Cormorant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Cormorant 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 Little Cormorant Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Cormorant Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Cormorant Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2023 caught 0.67 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Little Cormorant Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Cormorant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-10 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 53.70 | 5–13 in 2022-06-27 | 0.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 29.96 | 5–9 in 2022-06-27 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluegill | 22.57 | 3–9 in 2022-06-27 | 0.19 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 16.23 | 9–14 in 2022-06-27 | 0.53 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 8.95 | 3–4 in 2017-06-11 | 0.05 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
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
Bluegill
Brown Bullhead
From the 2025-06-10 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Little Cormorant Lake on June 10th, 2025, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 91 survey sites evenly spaced 400 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones:…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Cormorant Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little CormorantFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little CormorantFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little CormorantPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Average depth
17 ft
Surface area
1,067 acres
Shoreline
24.1 mi
Littoral zone
58%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,371 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Cormorant LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Cormorant Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Cormorant 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 Little Cormorant Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Little Cormorant Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Cormorant Lake
- → Little Cormorant Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Cormorant Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Cormorant Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Cormorant Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 22, 2012 · Latest May 10, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 5
2024
30 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Little Cormorant Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN03-0506-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Little Cormorant Lake
Where is Little Cormorant Lake?
- Little Cormorant 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 Little Cormorant Lake?
- Little Cormorant Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 1066.73 acres.
Is Little Cormorant Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Cormorant Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Cormorant Lake?
- Little Cormorant Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet and an average depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 1066.73 acres.
What fish are in Little Cormorant Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Cormorant Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Cormorant Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Cormorant Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2023 caught 0.67 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Little Cormorant Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Cormorant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Little Cormorant Lake thaw?
- Little Cormorant Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 221 days.
Are there boat ramps on Little Cormorant Lake?
- Little Cormorant Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Cormorant Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Cormorant Lake?
- Little Cormorant 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.
Explore Little Cormorant Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate