Independence Lake (Jackson County)
Jackson County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 32001700
DNR records show 16 stocking entries at Independence Lake (Jackson County) since 2016, most recently northern pike fingerlings in 2025 (228 fish).
- Independence Lake (Jackson County) has 16 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2016-2025): walleye (15), northern pike (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 4,151 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 10 ft; surface area 99 acres, 96 littoral acres, 1.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Jackson County, nearest town Jackson; DNR lake number (DOW) 32001700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 228 | 57.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 341 | 213.1 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 570 | 285.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 438 | 60.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 120 | 8.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | adults | 150 | 150.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | adults | 126 | 198.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 231 | 47.2 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 80 | 40.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | yearlings | 257 | 163.7 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 130 | 26.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 206 | 206.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 1,233 | 203.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 53 | 53.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 99 | 22.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 117 | 13.0 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - STATE LEASED ACCESS ON SOUTH SIDE OF LAKE |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 87.67 | 789 | 0.05 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 28.22 | 254 | 0.10 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 3.67 | 33 | 0.45 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.74 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 2.57 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.46 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 1.36 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 2.39 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 39.00 | 39 | 0.05 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 13.00 | 13 | 0.28 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 7.00 | 7 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 5 | 2.44 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 3 | 0.69 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 3 | 2.16 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.05 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 1.65 |
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.
Independence Lake is a 112-acre lake located seven miles southeast of the City of Windom in Jackson County. The lake's shallow depth (maximum of 10 feet) and improved water clarity in recent years have encouraged the growth of dense aquatic vegetation (mainly Curly-leaf pondweed and coontail) throughout the lake basin. Bulrush is also present in a couple of locations on the perimeter of the lake. The vegetation growth has benefitted the fishery by providing habitat for fish. Independence Lake is managed primarily for Largemouth Bass and secondarily for Walleye and Sunfish. Walleye fingerlings, yearlings and adults are stocked when available and have been stocked extensively in recent years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023). Independence Lake was surveyed the week of May 30, 2023 to monitor fish populations using one gill net and nine trap nets. The Largemouth Bass population was not assessed in 2023. Walleye abundance has never been high in Independence Lake as catch rates have varied from 0.0 per gill net in 2007 to 15.0 per gill net in 1999. The Walleye catch rate in 2023 was 3.0 per gill net, an increase from the 2019 catch rate of 0.5 per gill net and within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.3 to 18.1 per gill net). Walleye lengths ranged from 16.6 to 20.1 inches and averaged 18.6 inches. It is likely that there are more Walleye present than what the nets caught because dense vegetation often negatively affects gill net catches. Since 2003, Bluegill have occurred in low abundance (less than 2.0 per trap net) in Independence Lake. Abundance increased in 2023 to 28.2 per trap net, above the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.2 to 20.0 per trap net) and above the long-term average of 13.8 per trap net. Bluegill lengths ranged from 3.1 to 7.4 inches and averaged 5.8 inches. Sixty-four percent of the sampled Bluegill were 6.0 inches or longer and 20 percent of the sample were 7.0 inches or longer. With a growing season past, Bluegill should be approaching harvest size. Pumpkinseed Sunfish abundance has steadily increased from 1.6, 28.2, and 42.0 per trap net in 2011, 2015, and 2019, respectively. The increase continued in 2023 with a catch rate of 87.7 per trap net, which is the highest catch rate recorded at Independence Lake. Pumpkinseed lengths ranged from 3.4 to 8.9 inches and averaged 5.4 inches. Forty-five percent of sampled Pumpkinseeds were 6.0 inches in length or greater. Yellow Perch abundance in 2023 was down significantly from 2019, going from 223.0 per gill net to 13.0 per gill net in 2023. While…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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