Cokato Lake vs Upper Maple Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Maple Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Cokato Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wright County, Minnesota.
Cokato Lake and Upper Maple 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Upper Maple Lake grades a A while Cokato Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Upper Maple Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Cokato Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Upper Maple Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cokato Lake | Upper Maple Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6 ft | 18 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 16 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 52 ft | 76 ft |
| Surface Area | 552.78 acres | 632.6 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Upper Maple Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Cokato Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 6 ft. For fishing diversity, Upper Maple Lake also leads with 1 species.