Cook

Cook Lake, also known as Cork Lake, is a small lake located west of Alexandria adjacent to Lobster Lake. The lake has no public access but winter anglers access the lake off HWY 114. The lake is fringed with dense stands of cattail and water lilies. Submergent vegetation is also extremely abundant. The large amounts of vegetation provide very good spawning and nursery habitat. These plants also enhance water quality by protecting the shoreline from wave action and taking up available nutrients preventing algal blooms. The mid-summer secchi reading was 12.0 feet.Cook lake is utilized primarily in winter due to the lack of a public access. Winter anglers target bluegill and black crappie. Bluegill relative abundance increased from 5.2 fish per trapnet in 1996 to 13.0 fish per trapnet in 2001. Approximately 83% of the sampled fish exceeded 6.0 inches with 10% exceeding 8.0 inches in length. Black crappie numbers have also increased slightly with a trapnet catch of 1.5 fish per net. These fish averaged just over 9.0 inches long.Northern pike can also be active on the lake and catch rates have increased from 6.5 fish per trapnet in 1996 to 9.5 fish per trapnet in 2001. The mean length of the sampled fish was 19.9 inches with the largest fish measuring 22.7 inches. The mean weight these fish was 1.6 pounds.Largemouth bass are extremely abundant with a electrofishing catch rate of 142.5 fish per hour. The size structure, however, is less than desirable with a mean length of 9.6 inches and no fish measuring over 14 inches.

Cook Lake is a small basin with a relatively undeveloped shoreline. The lake supports an abundant anddiverse aquatic plant community. Submergent vegetation grows to a depth of 12.0 feet and is dense inmost shallow areas. Common cattail surrounds the entire shoreline. Yellow and white waterlily arecommon in protected areas.Northern pike catches increased from 1.5 fish/gillnet in 1991 to 6.5 fish/gillnet in 1996. Gillnetcatches have ranged from 1.5 to 20.5 fish/net in previous surveys. The normal range of mean catchrates from lakes with similar and chemical characteristics is 2.3 - 9.2 fish/gillnet. Mean weight offish captured in 1996 was 2.2 pounds. Night, DC electrofishing yielded 15.4 stock-size and 7.7 sub-stock largemouth bass per hour. Approximately 50% of the fish were 12 inches in length or greater and17% exceeded 15 inches. Bluegill catches averaged 5.2 fish/trapnet. Trapnet catches averaged 8.3 and9.3 fish/net in 1991 and 1987, respectively. The normal range of mean catch rates from similar lakesis 5.9 - 43.3 fish/trapnet. Mean weight of fish captured in 1996 was 0.3 pounds. Most of the fishcaptured were 6 inches in length or greater, however no fish exceeded 8 inches in total length. Blackbullhead catches decreased from 58.5 fish/gillnet in 1991 to 2.0 fish/gillnet in 1996. Mean weight offish captured in 1996 was 0.8 pounds, compared to 0.3 pounds in 1991. Bowfin, black crappie, yellowperch, pumpkinseed sunfish, yellow bullhead, and common carp were also captured in low numbers withsurvey nets.

The sportfish community in Cook Lake is limited. Bluegill comprised 84% of the biomass captured in gillnets. Common Carp and bullhead comprised 60% of the total weight of fish collected in trapnets. Gamefish captured included northern pike, bluegill, pumpkinseed, black crappie, and largemouth bass. Northern pike catch rate averaged 1.5 fish/gillnet in 1991. This is a significant decline from the 1987 population assessment when the catch rate averaged 20.5 fish/gillnet. Most of the northern pike captured during the 1987 survey were small fish. PSD measured at 16% and mean weight of fish captured was 1.1 lbs. The decline in catch rate may be due to a lack of spawning success during low water level years experience in the late 1980's. Another explanation is that extremely high water during 1986 provided a connection to lobster lake which would have allowed northern pike to migrate into Cook Lake prior to the 1987 population assessment. Northern pike catch rate averaged 3.0 fish/gillnet during the only other previous survey in 1979. The bluegill catch rate averaged 8.3 fish/trapnet in 1991 which is similar to the 1987 catch rate of 9.3 fish/trapnet. Size structure, as measured by PSD, has improved from 16% in 1987 to 36% in 1991. Bluegill growth in Cook Lake is similar to other area lakes in lake classification 33. Age 4 fish average 5.9 inches in total length at time of annulus formation. Five small largemouth bass were captured in trapnets which indicates that they are still present in the lake. An electrofishing survey in 1987 recorded a stock catch rate of 8.0 largemouth bass/hour. There is no designated public access on Cook Lake. Lack of access limits management activities. The abundance of non-game species may be limiting panfish numbers.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Green Sunfish, Bluegill, and Black Crappie in Cook. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Cook. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Cook has a maximum depth of 50 feet and a mean depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Cook is from 2001. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Cook in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.