Lower Bottle Lake
Lower Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 15 ft
- Typical in August
- 58°F
- Max depth
- 110 ft
- Area
- 641 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 17
- Open water
- 228 days
Next lake in Hubbard County
Lower Bottle Lake is a 641-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 110 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay 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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Water Temperature
Lower Bottle Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 110 ft |
| Surface Area | 641 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 49% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Bottle Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-07 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 38.07 | — |
| BKF | 34.38 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 22.93 | 0.13 lb |
| BNS | 20.50 | — |
| MMS | 10.36 | — |
| Walleye | 9.16 | 1.51 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.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.045 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.47 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.03 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (28 observations).
Estimated open water season: 228 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-17 (2024) | 2013-05-11 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-12 (2019) | 1999-12-15 (1999) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-21
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0180-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #13 of 68 lakes in Hubbard County
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Bottle Lake
What is the water quality grade for Lower Bottle Lake?
- Lower Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Lower Bottle Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Lower Bottle Lake?
- Lower Bottle Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Lower Bottle Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate