Brooks Lake
Wright County, Minnesota100 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Brooks Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 21 ft max depth
- Public access
Brooks Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 33 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 100.19 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 14, 2021 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Brooks Lake. DNR survey details →
Brooks Lake is a 100-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 21 feet (11-foot average). The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Brooks Lake ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Brooks Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Brooks Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Brooks Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Brooks Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Brooks Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft. Phosphorus 33 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.7 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 33µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Brooks Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Brooks Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 143 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Brooks Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 14, 2021 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Brooks Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Brooks Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-06-14 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2021-06-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 415.38 | 11–12 in 2005-06-13 | 0.35 lb |
| Bluegill | 33.54 | 2–8 in 2021-06-14 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 24.34 | 5–20 in 2021-06-14 | 1.26 lb |
| Black Crappie | 19.21 | 4–9 in 2021-06-14 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.96 | 15–30 in 2021-06-14 | 4.05 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 1.67 | 5–6 in 2021-06-14 | 0.08 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Black Crappie
From the 2021-06-14 survey
Brooks Lake is a 96-acre lake located in southwestern Wright County near the City of Cokato. The lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet with a summer water clarity of over five feet. There is a city administered public boat access as well as a fishing pier located within Veterans Memorial Park on the east side of the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Brooks Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BrooksFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BrooksPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
21 ft
Average depth
11.4 ft
Surface area
100 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Littoral zone
58%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,053 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Brooks LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Brooks Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Brooks Lake in Wright County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Brooks Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Brooks Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.54 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.06 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Brooks Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0264-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Brooks Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Faribault Foods-Cokato DivCokato · 0.6 mi away · NPDES MN0030635
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Brooks Lake
Where is Brooks Lake?
- Brooks Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Brooks Lake?
- Brooks Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 33 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 100.19 acres.
Is Brooks Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Brooks Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Brooks Lake?
- Brooks Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in October, from 143 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Brooks Lake?
- Brooks Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet and an average depth of 11.4 feet. The lake covers 100.19 acres.
What fish are in Brooks Lake?
- Fish species found in Brooks Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch. Brooks Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Brooks Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 14, 2021 caught 0.25 walleye per gill net at Brooks Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Brooks Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Brooks Lake?
- Brooks Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Brooks Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Brooks Lake?
- Brooks Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Brooks Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
155 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA155 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory