Upper Bottle Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota459 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Upper Bottle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
Upper Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 459.14 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 8.83 walleye per gill net at Upper Bottle Lake. DNR survey details →
Upper Bottle Lake is a 459-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Upper Bottle Lake covers about 460 acres in Hubbard County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 23, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Upper Bottle Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Upper Bottle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 23
- Deep water55 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. Upper Bottle Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Upper 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 Upper Bottle Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Upper 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 16 ft down. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Upper Bottle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Upper Bottle Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (77°F).
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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 8.83 walleye per gill net at Upper Bottle Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Bottle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 37.17 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 29.81 | 5–9 in 2023-08-14 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 23.45 | 10–13 in 2018-08-13 | 0.63 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
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
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Surface area
459 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
38%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Upper Bottle LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Upper Bottle Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Upper Bottle Lake
- → Upper Bottle Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Upper Bottle Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Upper Bottle Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Upper 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: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.5 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.09 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 23
Earliest Mar 19, 2024 · Latest May 12, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 11, 1996 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 21
2025
48 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0148-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Bottle Lake
Where is Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper 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 Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper Bottle Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Upper 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 Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper Bottle Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Upper Bottle Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 8.83 walleye per gill net at Upper Bottle Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Bottle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Upper Bottle Lake?
- Upper Bottle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Upper Bottle Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Hubbard County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate