9 miles northeast of Detroit Lakes
Becker County, Minnesota · 46.8828° N, 95.6977° W
Directions to Cotton Lake Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access site.
Updated 15 Oct 2026, 4:20 pm EDT.
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Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
1 public access site on Cotton Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 10 stockings of Cotton Lake in 5 of the years 2017 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 4,915 walleye fingerlings. Species stocked: walleye.
Latest: 2025: 10,095 walleye fingerlings.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries (LakeFinder stocking reports), fetched 15 Oct 2026. How we measure
Measured from Minnesota DNR contours. How we measure
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Cotton Lake was in July 2021: 12 gill nets and 12 trap nets caught 14 species.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 1996 4.2 · 2001 9.3 · 2006 9.6 · 2016 3.8 · 2021 5.3
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 1996 106 · 2001 63 · 2006 81 · 2016 50 · 2021 15
Walleye: 65 measured, 8 to 23 in, half 16 in or longer; average 1.5 lb, normal (normal 1.2–2.1 lb).
Northern pike: 171 measured, 10 to 28 in, half 17 in or longer; average 1.1 lb, below normal (normal 1.6–2.8 lb).
Largemouth bass: 61 measured, 5 to 18 in, half 13 in or longer; average 1.4 lb, above normal (normal 0.5–1.2 lb).
Black crappie: 10 measured, 3 to 12 in, half 4 in or longer; average 0.15 lb, below normal (normal 0.3–0.6 lb).
Bluegill: 289 measured, 2 to 9 in, half 6 in or longer; average 0.2 lb, normal (normal 0.1–0.2 lb).
Also caught: brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, tullibee (cisco), white sucker, yellow bullhead.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 12 Jul 2021, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 11 ft: the Secchi depth across 4 readings, 2006–2021.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Cotton Lake is 28 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 1,763 acres.
Yes. 1 public access site is listed: Cotton Lake Public Water Access Site.
Yes. Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 10 stockings of it in 5 of the years 2017 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 4,915 walleye fingerlings.
Minnesota DNR’s July 2021 standard survey caught 14 species, most often bluegill, northern pike, yellow perch and hybrid sunfish.
About 70% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.