Big Swan Lake vs Cokato Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cokato Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Big Swan Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Minnesota.
Big Swan Lake and Cokato Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Big Swan Lake (D) versus Cokato Lake (D). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Big Swan Lake
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Cokato Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Swan Lake | Cokato Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.5 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 84 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 32 ft | 52 ft |
| Surface Area | 683.85 acres | 552.78 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Cokato Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Big Swan Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 2.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Cokato Lake also leads with 1 species.