String Lake
String Lake in Cottonwood County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 0.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 3.8 ft. Surface area: 336.23 acres.
- Clarity
- 0.3 ft
- Max depth
- 3.8 ft
- Area
- 336 acres
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Cottonwood County
Why String Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For String Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
String Lake is a 336-acre lake in Cottonwood County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 4 feet. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-07-18. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for String Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 0.3 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 93.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 93 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near String Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near String Lake in Cottonwood 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 String Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 3.8 ft |
| Surface Area | 336 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 7 mi |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- String LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing String Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-05-15 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 53.03 | — |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 41.13 | 5.55 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 17.50 | 0.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.84 | 0.09 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.38 | 0.13 lb |
| Common Carp | 5.05 | 5.06 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.
Bigmouth Buffalo
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2023-05-15 survey
String Lake is a 402-acre, class 42 lake located four miles west of the City of Windom in Cottonwood County. String Lake is comprised of three basins divided by roads but are connected by culverts that allow fish passage. String Lake is a shallow basin (max depth of 6.0 ft.) that experiences frequent partial…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for String Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StringFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — StringFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StringPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of String Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Red Rock Rural WtpWindom · 3.3 mi away · NPDES MN0068101
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near String Lake
String Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Cottonwood County
Frequently asked questions about String Lake
What is the water quality grade for String Lake?
- String Lake in Cottonwood County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 0.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 3.8 ft. Surface area: 336.23 acres.
Is String Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. String Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is String Lake?
- String Lake has a maximum depth of 3.8 feet. The lake covers 336.23 acres.
What fish are in String Lake?
- Fish species found in String Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. String Lake is located in Cottonwood County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on String Lake?
- String Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include String Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore String Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Cottonwood County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Minnesota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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State Parks Near String Lake
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Monitoring
MNDA_PESTICIDE1 sample · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory