Coon Lake
Anoka County, Minnesota1,481 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Coon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Coon Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 1481.24 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 3.20 walleye per gill net at Coon Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Coon Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 25 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Coon Lake is a 1,481-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Anoka County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Anoka County, Coon Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Coon Lake covers about 1,500 acres in Anoka County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Coon Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Coon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
- Big water1,481 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Coon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Coon 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 Coon Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Coon 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 5.7 ft. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.9 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.9µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| 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 Coon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Coon Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°F) and coldest in May (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 65 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Coon Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 3.20 walleye per gill net at Coon Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Coon 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey).
17 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 48.23 | 2–7 in 2025-06-16 | 0.11 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 26.25 | 7–14 in 2025-06-16 | 0.51 lb |
| Black Crappie | 15.69 | 4–11 in 2025-06-16 | 0.16 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 7.82 | 3–7 in 2025-06-16 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.83 | 13–30 in 2025-06-16 | 2.34 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 6.07 | 9–13 in 2019-06-17 | 0.58 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.
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Pumpkinseed
From the 2025-06-16 survey
Coon Lake is a 1,250 acre lake located in northern Anoka County and assigned to lake class 35. There are two major basins with the eastern one being the deeper but smaller of the two. This lake was historically susceptible to winterkills but there are currently two aeration systems in place which appear to be…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Coon Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CoonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CoonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CoonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Average depth
10 ft
Surface area
1,481 acres
Shoreline
16.3 mi
Littoral zone
74%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
33 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
886 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Coon LakePublic
- County Road 17Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Coon Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Coon Lake in Anoka 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 Coon Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Coon Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Coon Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 15, 2016 · Latest May 1, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 15, 2002 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 22
2025
32 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Coon 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN02-0042-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Anoka County
Frequently asked questions about Coon Lake
Where is Coon Lake?
- Coon Lake is a lake in Anoka County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Coon Lake?
- Coon Lake in Anoka County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 1481.24 acres.
Is Coon Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Coon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Coon Lake?
- Coon Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in October, from 65 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Coon Lake?
- Coon Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 1481.24 acres.
What fish are in Coon Lake?
- Fish species found in Coon Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Coon Lake is located in Anoka County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Coon Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 3.20 walleye per gill net at Coon Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Coon 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.
When does Coon Lake thaw?
- Coon Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 235 days.
Are there boat ramps on Coon Lake?
- Coon Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Coon Lake, County Road 17. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Coon Lake?
- Coon Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Coon Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Anoka County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
278 measurements from 6 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA278 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity, Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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
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