Lower Bottle Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota641 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Bottle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 110 ft max depth
Lower Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 110 ft. Surface area: 641.17 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2023 caught 11.38 walleye per gill net at Lower Bottle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches. DNR survey details →
Lower Bottle Lake is a 641-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 110 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Lower Bottle Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lower Bottle Lake covers about 640 acres in Hubbard County. The median ice-out date is April 17, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lower Bottle Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lower Bottle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15 ft of visibility
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water110 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Lower Bottle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lower Bottle 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 Lower Bottle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lower Bottle Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.5 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.5µg/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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lower Bottle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Bottle Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 134 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Bottle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lower Bottle Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (13,677 cells/mL) on April 25, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2023 caught 11.38 walleye per gill net at Lower Bottle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Bottle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-07 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-07 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 38.07 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 22.93 | 5–7 in 2023-08-07 | 0.13 lb |
| Walleye | 9.16 | 5–22 in 2023-08-07 | 1.51 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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
From the 2023-08-07 survey
Lower Bottle Lake is located four miles north of Dorset in southern Hubbard County. Lower Bottle is separated by a narrows from Upper Bottle, both lakes having similar fish communities and are generally managed together. Lower Bottle has a surface area of 641 acres and a maximum depth of 110 feet. A state-owned public…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Bottle Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower BottleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Lower BottleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
110 ft
Surface area
641 acres
Shoreline
6 mi
Littoral zone
49%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Lower Bottle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lower Bottle Lake in Hubbard 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 Lower Bottle Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Bottle Lake
- → Lower Bottle Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Lower Bottle Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Lower Bottle Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Lower Bottle Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.47 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.03 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 17, 2024 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 12, 2019 · Latest Dec 15, 1999
Most recent ice-out
Apr 21
2025
28 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Lower Bottle Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0180-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Bottle Lake
Where is Lower Bottle Lake?
- Lower Bottle Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lower Bottle Lake?
- Lower Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 110 ft. Surface area: 641.17 acres.
Is Lower Bottle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lower Bottle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lower Bottle Lake?
- Lower Bottle Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 134 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Bottle Lake?
- Lower Bottle Lake has a maximum depth of 110 feet. The lake covers 641.17 acres.
What fish are in Lower Bottle Lake?
- Fish species found in Lower Bottle Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lower Bottle Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lower Bottle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2023 caught 11.38 walleye per gill net at Lower Bottle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Bottle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Lower Bottle Lake thaw?
- Lower Bottle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Does Lower Bottle Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lower Bottle Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (13,677 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at Lower Bottle Lake?
- Public access to Lower Bottle Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Lower Bottle Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
192 measurements from 4 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
MNPCA192 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate