Cox Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota61 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Cox Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cox Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 60.99 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Cox Lake. DNR survey details →
Cox Lake is a 61-acre lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Cox Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cox 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 Cox Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Cox Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | 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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Cox Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Cox Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in Jun (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 40 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cox Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Cox Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cox Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-06-18 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2018-06-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 50.72 | 4–18 in 2018-06-18 | 0.84 lb |
| Bluegill | 36.12 | 3–8 in 2018-06-18 | 0.08 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.36 | 13–40 in 2018-06-18 | 1.95 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.00 | 4–12 in 2018-06-18 | 0.24 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.85 | 4–6 in 2018-06-18 | 0.12 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.83 | 5–10 in 2018-06-18 | 0.17 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
From the 2018-06-18 survey
Cox Lake is a 75-acre lake located west of Itasca State Park in southern Clearwater County. There is County-owned, unimproved public water access on the west shore of the lake off County Road 39 with parking for two trucks/trailers. The access may not be suitable for larger boats. Cox Lake is managed as a winterkill…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cox Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CoxFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Cox (1423)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
30 ft
Average depth
10 ft
Surface area
61 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
64%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,617 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Cox 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 Cox Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cox Lake in Clearwater 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 Cox Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cox Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Nearby Lakes in Clearwater County
Frequently asked questions about Cox Lake
Where is Cox Lake?
- Cox Lake is a lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cox Lake?
- Cox Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 60.99 acres.
Is Cox Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Cox Lake?
- Cox Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 40 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Cox Lake?
- Cox Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 60.99 acres.
What fish are in Cox Lake?
- Fish species found in Cox Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch. Cox Lake is located in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Cox Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Cox Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cox Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Cox Lake?
- Cox Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cox Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Cox Lake?
- Cox 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.
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2020–2024
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory