Cokato Lake
Wright County, Minnesota553 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Cokato Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cokato Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 552.78 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 8.11 walleye per gill net at Cokato Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–20 inches. DNR survey details →
Cokato Lake is a 553-acre lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 52 feet (22-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Cokato Lake covers about 550 acres in Wright County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 2, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Cokato Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Cokato Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing20 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 2
- Deep water52 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cokato Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cokato 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 Cokato Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Cokato 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. TSI 51.
| 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 | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Cokato Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Cokato Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 68°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 78 field readings (2018–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cokato Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Cokato Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was very high (1,923,092 cells/mL) on June 27, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 8.11 walleye per gill net at Cokato Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cokato Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-06 (Targeted Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-06 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 187.87 | ||
| Walleye | 31.95 | 5–20 in 2025-10-06 | 1.59 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 14.61 | 4–9 in 2024-08-05 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Crappie | 9.11 | 3–12 in 2024-08-05 | 0.53 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 8.49 | 4–10 in 2024-08-05 | 0.41 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.
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-10-06 survey
The Walleye population in Cokato Lake was managed through fingerling stocking until 2006. Since then the management strategy has shifted to fry stocking at a rate of 1,000 per littoral acre (184,000 total) with fingerlings being stocked on a contingency basis. Seven out of nine fry stockings have met or exceeded the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cokato Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CokatoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CokatoFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CokatoPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
52 ft
Average depth
21.5 ft
Surface area
553 acres
Shoreline
4.7 mi
Littoral zone
33%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
33 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
961 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Cokato 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 Cokato Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cokato 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 Cokato Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cokato Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 2
Earliest Apr 1, 2007 · Latest Apr 22, 2008
Most recent ice-out
Apr 22
2008
5 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cokato Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cokato Lake, built primarily for other on the Sucker Creek; earth-type dam, 7 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 560 ac
- Normal storage
- 933 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 13,800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 45.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Wildlife
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01252 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Cokato Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0263-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Cokato Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Cokato WwtpCokato · 1.7 mi away · NPDES MN0049204Recent violation
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 Cokato Lake
Where is Cokato Lake?
- Cokato 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 Cokato Lake?
- Cokato Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 552.78 acres.
Is Cokato Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cokato Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Cokato Lake?
- Cokato Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 78 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Cokato Lake?
- Cokato Lake has a maximum depth of 52 feet and an average depth of 21.5 feet. The lake covers 552.78 acres.
What fish are in Cokato Lake?
- Fish species found in Cokato Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, burbot, channel catfish, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Cokato Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Cokato Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 8.11 walleye per gill net at Cokato Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–20 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cokato Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Cokato Lake thaw?
- Cokato Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 2.
Does Cokato Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Cokato Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was very high (1,923,092 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Cokato Lake?
- Cokato Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cokato Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Cokato Lake?
- Cokato 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 Cokato Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
34 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
MNPCA34 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate