Middle Cormorant Lake
Middle Cormorant Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 373.19 acres.
- Clarity
- 15.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 68°F
- Max depth
- 40 ft
- Area
- 373 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Becker County
Middle Cormorant Lake is a 373-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Middle Cormorant Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-15. 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 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus level: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Middle Cormorant Lake
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Water Temperature
Middle Cormorant Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2016–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Middle Cormorant Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Middle Cormorant Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (40,179 cells/mL) on October 11, 2025.
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 | 40 ft |
| Surface Area | 373 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 39% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Middle Cormorant LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Middle Cormorant 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-02 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| SUN | 60.90 | — |
| Bluegill | 39.96 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 17.81 | 0.43 lb |
| GOS | 9.29 | — |
| Fathead Minnow | 7.89 | — |
| IOD | 7.26 | — |
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.
Bluegill
Yellow Bass
From the 2021-08-02 survey
Middle Cormorant Lake is a 373-acre lake located in southwestern Becker County 13 miles south of the city of Lake Park. The lake possesses a heavily developed shoreline and receives high recreational use and fishing pressure from the surrounding area. The lake maintains a navigable channel to Nelson and Upper…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Middle Cormorant Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Middle CormorantFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Middle Cormorant (1199)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Middle CormorantFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Middle CormorantPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.06 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.39 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Middle 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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN03-0602-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #16 of 84 lakes in Becker County
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Middle Cormorant Lake
What is the water quality grade for Middle Cormorant Lake?
- Middle Cormorant Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 373.19 acres.
Is Middle Cormorant Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Middle Cormorant Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Middle Cormorant Lake?
- Middle Cormorant Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in August, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Middle Cormorant Lake?
- Middle Cormorant Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 373.19 acres.
What fish are in Middle Cormorant Lake?
- Fish species found in Middle Cormorant Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead. Middle Cormorant Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
Does Middle Cormorant Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Middle Cormorant Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (40,179 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Middle Cormorant Lake?
- Middle Cormorant Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Middle Cormorant Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Middle Cormorant Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
59 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA59 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory