Cochran Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin133 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Cochran Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 12 ft max depth
Cochran Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 133 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Northern Pike as abundant on Cochran Lake. DNR survey details →
Cochran Lake is a 133-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Compared to the 102 other monitored lakes in Vilas County, Cochran Lake ranks #90 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Cochran Lake covers about 130 acres in Vilas County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Cochran Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Cochran Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Phosphorus 29.3 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29.3µg/L | Fair 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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Cochran Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Northern Pike 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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 2010. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Surface area
133 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,657 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 Vilas 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.06 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Vilas County
Frequently asked questions about Cochran Lake
Where is Cochran Lake?
- Cochran Lake is a lake in Vilas 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 Vilas County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 133 acres.
Is Cochran Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cochran Lake?
- Cochran Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 133 acres.
What fish are in Cochran Lake?
- Fish species found in Cochran Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Cochran Lake is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Cochran Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Northern Pike 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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
38 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX38 samples · 2020–2025
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