Cokato Lake
Cokato Lake in Wright County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 552.78 acres.
- Clarity
- 6 ft
- Typical in August
- 68°F
- Max depth
- 52 ft
- Area
- 553 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 2
Next lake in Wright County
Why Cokato Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Cokato Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Cokato Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Trophic State Index: 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay 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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Water Temperature
Cokato Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 52 ft |
| Average Depth | 21.5 ft |
| Surface Area | 553 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 33% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Cokato LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cokato Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-06 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 187.87 | — |
| Walleye | 31.95 | 1.59 lb |
| JND | 23.89 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 14.61 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Crappie | 9.11 | 0.53 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 8.49 | 0.41 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
JND
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.125 m/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (5 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2007-04-01 (2007) | 2008-04-22 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 2006-12-01 (2006) | 2003-12-03 (2003) |
Most recent ice-out: 2008-04-22
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
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.
Graded lakes near Cokato Lake
Cokato Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Cokato Lake
What is the water quality grade for Cokato Lake?
- Cokato Lake in Wright County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 552.78 acres.
Is Cokato Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Cokato Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Cokato Lake?
- Cokato Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Cokato Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
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.
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