Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Cottonwood County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 12 lakes in Cottonwood County. The 8 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.
Bingham Lake is first at A−. The DNR caught 21.7 yellow perch per gill net in the 2022 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Bean Lake is second at A−, with 23.2 yellow perch per gill net in the 2020 survey, and 18% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Talcot Lake is third at B+, and its biggest yellow perch was 11 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bingham Lake | A− | 270 | 21.7/net in gill nets | 26% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 2 | Bean Lake | A− | 164 | 23.2/net in gill nets | 18% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2020 |
| 3 | Talcot Lake | B+ | 873 | 6.7/net in gill nets | 52% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Mountain Lake | B+ | 230 | 13/net in gill nets | 21% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Eagle Lake | B+ | 105 | 26/net in gill nets | 12% | 9" | 0.3 lb | 2018 |
| 6 | Cottonwood Lake | B | 155 | 9.7/net in gill nets | 29% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | String Lake | B− | 336 | — | 12% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 8 | Double Lake | C− | 240 | 0.7/net in gill nets | 67% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
Also ranked in Cottonwood County: Walleye · Crappie
All of Minnesota: Best yellow perch 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.