Cochran Lake
Price County, Wisconsin111 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Cochran Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 20 ft max depth
Cochran Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. 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 →
Cochran Lake is a 111-acre mesotrophic lake in Price County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 20 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Cochran Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cochran Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Cochran Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Cochran Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 14.5 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Cochran Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Cochran Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (78°F).
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 →
Wisconsin DNR rates Largemouth Bass as abundant on Cochran Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cochran Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
111 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,568 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cochran Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.96 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Price County
Frequently asked questions about Cochran Lake
Where is Cochran Lake?
- Cochran Lake is a lake in Price County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cochran Lake?
- Cochran Lake in Price County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Cochran Lake?
- Cochran Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, 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 water quality. LakeQuality shows Cochran Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
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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 Resources
WIDNR_WQX155 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes