Cotton Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

03028600

County

Becker

Surface area

1,763 acres

Maximum depth

28 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

781 acres, 44% of the lake

Shoreline

10.9 miles

Average water clarity

11.1 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Rochert

Latest DNR fish survey

July 2021, standard survey

Surveys on record

12, since 1956

Game fish caught in the 2021 survey

bluegill 288, northern pike 172, yellow perch 160, hybrid sunfish 147, rock bass 122, pumpkinseed 87, walleye 65, largemouth bass 62

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 17 other species

Stocked in 2025

walleye fingerlings (4,915); walleye fingerlings (10,095)

Stocked in 2023

walleye fingerlings (7,385); walleye fingerlings (4,191)

Stocked in 2021

walleye fingerlings (3,399); walleye fingerlings (9,628)

Stocking years on record

5 of the last 10 (2017 to 2025)

Cotton Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 20 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

500 to 1,999 acres

Deepest point

15 to 29 feet

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.