Upper Bottle Lake
Upper Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 459.14 acres.
- Clarity
- 16 ft
- Typical in August
- 66°F
- Max depth
- 55 ft
- Area
- 459 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 23
- Open water
- 219 days
Next lake in Hubbard County
Upper Bottle Lake is a 459-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Phosphorus level 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. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Upper Bottle Lake ranks #16 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 16 ft down. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Upper Bottle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper 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.
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Water Temperature
Upper Bottle Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 114 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Upper Bottle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Bottle Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (270,396 cells/mL) on November 29, 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 | 55 ft |
| Surface Area | 459 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 38% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Upper Bottle LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Upper 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: 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| BKF | 40.27 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 37.17 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 29.81 | 0.14 lb |
| BNS | 28.22 | — |
| Black Bullhead | 23.45 | 0.63 lb |
| IOD | 14.35 | — |
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
Black Bullhead
From the 2023-08-14 survey
Upper Bottle Lake is located in southern Hubbard County, five miles north of Dorset. Upper Bottle is separated by a narrows from Lower Bottle Lake, with both lakes having similar fish communities and are generally managed together. Upper Bottle has a surface area of 459 acres and a maximum depth of 55 feet. A…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Upper Bottle Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Upper BottleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Upper Bottle (1279)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Upper BottleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Upper BottlePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.012 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.09 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (48 observations).
Estimated open water season: 219 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-19 (2024) | 2013-05-12 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 1996-11-11 (1996) | 2015-12-19 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-21
EPA Impairment Status
Upper 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 MN29-0148-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #16 of 68 lakes in Hubbard County
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Bottle Lake
What is the water quality grade for Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 459.14 acres.
Is Upper Bottle Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Upper Bottle Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper Bottle Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August, from 114 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper Bottle Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake covers 459.14 acres.
What fish are in Upper Bottle Lake?
- Fish species found in Upper Bottle Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Upper Bottle Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
When does Upper Bottle Lake thaw?
- Upper Bottle Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 23. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 219 days.
Does Upper Bottle Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Bottle Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (270,396 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper Bottle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Upper Bottle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
176 measurements from 5 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
MNPCA176 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 (5)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate