Minnesota · Becker County

Cotton Lake Fishing guide

Cotton Lake covers 1,763 acres in Becker County, Minnesota, reaching 28 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 11.1 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 28 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface1,763 ac

Max depth28 ft

Clarity11.1 ft

Littoral44%

Surveyed2021

How to fish Cotton Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 11.1 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
Summer: Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

Northern pike

Spring: Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 11.1 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
Summer: Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find.
Fall: Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.

Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.

Size history

Biggest fish by survey year

Survey year	Walleye	Northern pike	Largemouth bass
2021	23"	28"	18"
2016	27"	23"	18"
2011	29"	29"	16"
2006	30"	31"	17"
2001	28"	32"	17"
1996	28"	32"	17"

Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.

Suggested tackle

What to bring

Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:

Walleye · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

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Northern pike · Jigs & bladed

Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)

#2–#4 in-line spinner

1–10 ftmoderate

Shop inline spinners →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

DNR stocking records

Stocking history

Year	Species	Stocked
2025	Walleye	15,010 fingerlings
2023	Walleye	11,576 fingerlings
2021	Walleye	13,027 fingerlings
2019	Walleye	27,135 fingerlings
2017	Walleye	9,319 fingerlings

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2021 survey

Cotton Lake is a 1,763-acre lake located in Becker county 12 miles east of the city of Detroit Lakes. The lake possesses a heavily developed shoreline and receives high recreational use and fishing pressure from the surrounding area, particularly during the open water season. The Shelly Island Wildlife Management Area and the Cotton Lake Aquatic Management Area collectively protect 111 acres of land within and adjacent to Cotton Lake. The lake is moderately productive and maintains a robust fishery, providing angling opportunities for Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Black Crappie. A standard lake survey was completed on Cotton Lake in July 2021.

Catch rates of Walleye in Cotton Lake have varied over time, ranging from four to 13 Walleye per gill net. The average catch rate of Walleye in 2021 was about five fish per gill net. Walleye sampled ranged in length from 8.4 to 22.6 inches, averaging 15.9 inches long. Walleye in Cotton Lake typically reach 15 inches in length by age four, exhibiting growth that is considered average in Minnesota lakes.

Read the full DNR narrative

Northern Pike catches have increased in Cotton Lake over time. During the 2021 survey the average catch rate of Northern Pike was almost 14 pike per gill net, slightly higher than the lake's historical average. Pike sampled in 2021 ranged in length from 10.0 to 28.9 inches, averaging 17.3 inches long. Only 1.2% of sampled Northern Pike were greater than or equal to 24 inches in length, indicative of a population persisting of an over-abundance of small to moderately sized pike.

Catch rates of Yellow Perch have remained between about ten and 20 perch pet gill net in the last six surveys. The average catch rate of Yellow Perch in 2021 was about 13 perch per gill net. Sampled perch ranged in length from 5.1 to 12.0 inches, averaging 8.4 inches long. Cotton Lake appears to have the possibility to provide an angling opportunity for Yellow Perch, a unique prospect in the Detroit Lakes Fisheries Management Area.

Bluegill catches in Cotton Lake have declined relative to past surveys. Although catch rates are lower, the size structure of Bluegill has improved in the last two surveys. The average catch rate of Bluegill in 2021 was about 12 fish per trap net. Sampled Bluegill ranged in length from 2.8 to 8.9 inches, averaging 6.1 inches long. Approximately 22% of the Bluegill sampled in trap nets were eight inches or longer, a substantial improvement from previous surveys. Bluegill in Cotton Lake exhibit relatively slow growth, requiring six years to reach six inches long.

In 2021, a total of ten Black Crappie were sampled ranging in length from 3.7 to 12.2 inches long. A total of 15 Largemouth Bass were caught in trap nets, ranging in length from 5.2 to 19.0 inches in length, averaging 11.8 inches long. Additional species sampled in Cotton Lake in 2021 included Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, hybrid sunfish, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Cisco, and White Sucker.

Anglers can help maintain and improve Cotton Lake's fishery by harvesting small to moderately sized fish and releasing larger fish (specifically Northern Pike and Bluegill), as well as taking precautions to prevent the spread of invasive species. Shoreline owners can help to improve water quality and fish habit in the lake by maintaining shoreline buffer zones and leaving native aquatic vegetation stands intact.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Cotton Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Cotton Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Becker County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Cotton Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Cotton Lake depth map

Cotton Lake depth contour map, Becker County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 28 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Pickerel Lake · 361 ac · 1.6 mi
Hanson Lake · 35 ac · 1.9 mi
Perch Lake · 48 ac · 2.3 mi
North Tamarack Lake · 1,442 ac · 3.4 mi
Rock Lake · 1,196 ac · 4 mi
Height of Land Lake · 3,795 ac · 4.7 mi
Rice Lake · 231 ac · 5.6 mi
Little Floyd Lake · 215 ac · 6.4 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Cotton Lake?

Cotton Lake reaches 28 ft at its deepest point; about 44% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Cotton Lake?

Cotton Lake covers 1,763 acres with about 10.9 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Cotton Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Cotton Lake average 11.1 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Cotton Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Cotton Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.

Does Cotton Lake have a public access?

Yes. Cotton Lake has one public access site: Cotton Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Cotton Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 23"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.

When was Cotton Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Cotton Lake in 2021, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Cotton Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Cotton Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report