Lower Bottle Lake

How big is Lower Bottle Lake?

How deep is Lower Bottle Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Lower Bottle Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Lower Bottle Lake?

Lower Bottle Lake is located in southern Hubbard County, 4 miles north of Dorset. Lower Bottle is separated by a narrows from Upper Bottle, but both lakes have a similar fish community and are generally managed together. Lower Bottle has a surface area of 641 acres and a maximum depth of 110 feet. A DNR public access is located on the North Shore of Upper Bottle Lake, and navigation is through a channel between the lakes. Boating access is also available by small boats through the shallow river connecting Emma Lake to the south. Lower Bottle provides multi species opportunities to anglers, with good populations of walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, bass and panfish.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Lower Bottle is in Lake Class 22. Class 22 lakes are generally very large, very deep, clear, hard water lakes, with very irregularly shaped shoreline and low littoral zone. Other class 22 lakes in the Park Rapids area include: Big Sand, Kabekona, Long, and Potato.

Walleye abundance in 2013 was the highest ever recorded, and well above management goals. Multiple year classes of walleye were sampled with most walleye in the 12 to 16 inch range. Yellow perch, an important forage species for walleye, were sampled in moderate numbers for this Lake Class. Yellow perch were small in size, with very few perch of acceptable size for angling. Anglers can expect to find an abundant population of northern pike in Lower Bottle. Northern pike sampled in 2013 had an average length and weight of 23 inches and 2.6 pounds, with pike measured up to 33 inches. While not known as a panfish lake, Lower Bottle does provide angling opportunities for black crappie, bluegill and pumpkinseed. Anglers can expect to find low numbers of black crappie over 9 inches. Bluegill abundance was low compared to other similar lakes. Anglers will find most bluegill in the 5-8 inch size range. Lower bottle has both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, with low numbers sampled for both species.

Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Lower Bottle. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.

What is the average air temp for Lower Bottle Lake?

Are there any state parks near Lower Bottle Lake?