Cody Lake
Rice County, Minnesota259 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Cody Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cody Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 346 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 103.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 259.34 acres.
Cody Lake is a 259-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Rice County, Cody Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Cody Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 30
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. Cody Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cody 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 Cody Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Cody Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 346 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 103.5 µg/L. TSI 77.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 346µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 104µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 77 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Cody Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
14 ft
Surface area
259 acres
Shoreline
5.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cody Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cody Lake in Rice 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Cody Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Cody Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cody Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 30
Earliest Mar 2, 2024 · Latest Apr 28, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Mar 19
2025
15 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Cody 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 MN66-0061-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Cody Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Lonsdale WwtpLonsdale · 4.1 mi away · NPDES MN0031241
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 Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Cody Lake
Where is Cody Lake?
- Cody Lake is a lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cody Lake?
- Cody Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 346 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 103.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 259.34 acres.
Is Cody Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cody Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cody Lake?
- Cody Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake covers 259.34 acres.
What fish are in Cody Lake?
- Fish species found in Cody Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, walleye, yellow perch. Cody Lake is located in Rice County, Minnesota.
When does Cody Lake thaw?
- Cody Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 30.
Can I fish at Cody Lake?
- Public access to Cody Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Cody Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Rice County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA20 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate