Cokato Lake
Wright County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 86026300
DNR records show 31 stocking entries at Cokato Lake since 2016, most recently black crappie adults in 2025 (250 fish).
- Cokato Lake has 31 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (16), bluegill sunfish (8), black crappie (6), yellow perch (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,052,319 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 52 ft, mean depth 22 ft; surface area 553 acres, 184 littoral acres, 4.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, burbot, channel catfish, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, and 8 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Wright County, nearest town Cokato; DNR lake number (DOW) 86026300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/23/1975 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Black Crappie1 | adults | 250 | 25.0 |
| 2025 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | adults | 1,000 | 56.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye1 | fry | 60,000 | 0.6 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 120,679 | 1.2 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,987 | 194.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 92,000 | 0.9 |
| 2022 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | yearlings | 15,000 | 500.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye1 | fry | 50,000 | 0.5 |
| 2022 | Yellow Perch1 | yearlings | 500 | 25.0 |
| 2021 | Black Crappie1 | yearlings | 2,000 | 100.0 |
| 2021 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | adults | 900 | 50.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye1 | fry | 50,000 | 0.4 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 184,000 | 1.9 |
| 2020 | Black Crappie1 | yearlings | 500 | 25.0 |
| 2020 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | yearlings | 1,500 | 75.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye1 | fry | 50,000 | 0.4 |
| 2019 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | adults | 1,000 | 100.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 184,000 | 1.5 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,153 | 207.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye1 | fry | 10,000 | 0.1 |
| 2018 | Black Crappie1 | adults | 1,000 | 100.0 |
| 2018 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | adults | 1,000 | 100.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | fry | 40,000 | 0.4 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 500 | 15.6 |
| 2017 | Black Crappie1 | yearlings | 1,500 | 100.0 |
| 2017 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | yearlings | 3,000 | 200.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 184,000 | 1.7 |
| 2017 | Walleye1 | fry | 10,000 | 0.1 |
| 2016 | Black Crappie1 | adults | 1,500 | 150.0 |
| 2016 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | adults | 1,000 | 50.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fry | 10,000 | 0.1 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 176.33 | 178 | 0.04 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
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 fall electrofishing goal of 25 young-of-year (YOY) per hour, ranging from zero to 233 per hour with an average of 85 per hour. There has been no observed relationship between fry stocking rate and fall YOY catch rate as the highest YOY catches have been from years with the base stocking rate. Night Electrofishing was conducted on October 6, 2025, and yielded a YOY catch of 173/hr (on time), which was the highest catch rate since 2008 and the second highest on record. This is well above the long-term average of the lake (85/hr). YOY lengths ranged from 5 to 11 inches with an average length of 8 inches. Larger Walleye were captured at a rate of 3/hr and ranged in length from 17 to 20 inches. A standard survey was conducted in August 2024 and the Walleye gill net catch (8/gill net) was over double the long-term average for the lake (4/gill net). Most Walleye were from the 2021 and 2023 year classes. Fry stocking has been successful and will continue with fingerling stocking taking place on a contingency basis following unsuccessful fry stockings.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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