Fish Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Fish Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Fish Lake and Cottonwood County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cottonwood County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 136 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cottonwood County compares with Minnesota
Cottonwood County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cottonwood County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cottonwood County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 102.6 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 2.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.60 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.3% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.0% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 33% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.6% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.1% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.0% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Cottonwood County has lower values than Minnesota for garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Cottonwood County: 8.6 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.0 across Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 136 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Cottonwood County. They injured 85 people and killed 12.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 31 days.
Fish Lake had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cottonwood County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (11.8% of the year) and are lowest in July (1.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 46.1% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 12.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 27.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Fish Lake since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-60 (2), CR-2 520Th Ave (1) and US-71 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Cottonwood County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Fish Lake fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cottonwood County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cottonwood County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-60 | 2 |
| CR-2 520Th Ave | 1 |
| US-71 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cottonwood County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 60 | 50 |
| Usth 71 | 18 |
| Mnth 30 | 6 |
| Mnth 62 | 5 |
| Hwy | 5 |
| Csah 1 | 5 |
| Csah 5 | 4 |
| 16Th St | 2 |
Fish Lake at a glance
| Land area | 0.9 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56101) | $77,083 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56101) | $186,096 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cottonwood County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 8 | +66% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 11 | +30% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 12 | +6% | 1.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 12. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Fish Lake
How common are truck crashes in Fish Lake?
136 truck crashes have been reported in Cottonwood County since 2015, with 12 deaths and 85 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Fish Lake?
The worst month is October: 11.8% of truck crashes in Cottonwood County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Fish Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Cottonwood County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Fish Lake compared with Minnesota?
Cottonwood County records 102.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Fish Lake?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.