Where is Cochran Lake?

Cochran Lake is a lake in Price County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

Is Cochran Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Cochran Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

What is the water temperature of Cochran Lake?

Cochran Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 200 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Cochran Lake?

Cochran Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 111 acres.

What fish are in Cochran Lake?

Fish species found in Cochran Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Cochran Lake is located in Price County, Wisconsin.

Cochran Lake

Grade B — Good

Good · #2 of 13 lakes in the county · 11.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 111 acres · ↓ from A

Mesotrophic

Cochran Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 111 acres.

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Cochran Lake. DNR survey details →

Clarity: 11.5 ft
Typical in August: 75°F
Max depth: 20 ft
Area: 111 acres
Type: Mesotrophic
Trend: → Stable

Where to stay →Safe to swim?

Next lake in Price County

CPike Lake3 ft clear · Price CountyView →

PrevTurner Lake Where to stay NextPike Lake

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Cochran Lake is a 111-acre mesotrophic lake in Price County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Panfish and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Price County, Cochran Lake ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Low algae

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Minocqua →

Get alerts for Cochran Lake →

Water Quality Grade: B (Good)

Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 14.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	11.5 ft	Not graded
Phosphorus	14.5 µg/L	Good
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)	42	Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Cochran Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cochran Lake in Price County, Wisconsin — 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 Cochran Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →

Water Temperature

Cochran Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Apr (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

52°

May

60°

Jun

71°

Jul

78°

Aug

75°

Sep

69°

Oct

58°

Nov

—

Dec

—

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 200 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cochran Lake water temperature breakdown →

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Cochran Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Cochran Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

WI DNR Lake Profile

Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1998. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Excellent · Shallow Seepage lake

Trophic State Index 41 (mesotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Largemouth Bass(Abundant)Panfish(Common)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Maximum Depth	20 ft
Surface Area	111 acres

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

1 sq mi

Shoreline

1.8 mi

Elevation

1,568 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fish Species

Panfish Largemouth Bass

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Cochran Lake

Water Quality Trend: → Stable

Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

Metric	Trend	Change/Year	Years
Water Clarity	↑ Improving	+0.336 m/yr	6
Phosphorus	↓ Declining	+0.96 µg/L/yr	7

See year-by-year chart →

County Ranking

Ranked #2 of 13 lakes in Price County

Nearby Lakes in Price County

NRJupa Lake1.5 ft clearView →NRNewman Lake12.9 ft clearView →CRound Lake4 ft clear · EutrophicView →CPike Lake3 ft clear · EutrophicView →CTurner Lake3 ft clear · EutrophicView →NRWintergreen Lake10.5 ft clearView →

Frequently asked questions about Cochran Lake

Where is Cochran Lake?: Cochran Lake is a lake in Price County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Cochran Lake?: Cochran Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 111 acres.
Is Cochran Lake safe to swim in?: Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Cochran Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Cochran Lake?: Cochran Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 200 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Cochran Lake?: Cochran Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 111 acres.
What fish are in Cochran Lake?: Fish species found in Cochran Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass. Cochran Lake is located in Price County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Cochran Lake?: Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Cochran Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Cochran Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

Explore Cochran Lake across LakeQuality

Wisconsin Fishing Guide

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Price County Fishing

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Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Wisconsin Lake Trips

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Full state directory

Other Grade B Lakes in Wisconsin

Charnley Lake

Iron County · 13.5 ft

Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake

Iron County · 6 ft

Wilson Lake

Iron County · 11 ft

Flambeau Lake

Vilas County · Good

Great Bass Lake

Oneida County · 10.5 ft

Mercer Lake

Iron County · 12 ft

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Lower Springstead Lake Upper Springstead Lake Turtle Flambeau Flowage Lake Wilson Lake

Where this data comes from

155 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWIDNR_WQX155 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-513098

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.