Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in Cottonwood County
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 11 lakes in Cottonwood County. The 6 ranked below are the ones that earn a grade on this site. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
Talcot Lake is first at B+. The DNR caught 2.5 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Cottonwood Lake is second at B+, with 38.4 crappie per trap net in the 2024 survey, and none of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Mountain Lake is third at B+, and its biggest crappie was 11 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Talcot Lake | B+ | 873 | 2.5/net in trap nets | 22% | 12" | 0.5 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Cottonwood Lake | B+ | 155 | 38.4/net in trap nets | 0% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | Mountain Lake | B+ | 230 | 6.2/net in trap nets | 15% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | String Lake | B | 336 | 5.4/net in trap nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 5 | Bean Lake | C | 164 | 1.2/net in trap nets | 39% | 12" | 0.5 lb | 2020 |
| 6 | Double Lake | C− | 240 | 0.6/net in trap nets | 36% | 13" | 0.6 lb | 2023 |
Also ranked in Cottonwood County: Walleye · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best crappie lakes in Minnesota
Grades are based on Minnesota DNR survey data: how many fish the DNR caught (scaled by lake size), how many reached quality size, and the biggest fish measured. Each lake's page has the numbers behind its grade. The table shows each lake's most recent survey year.