Jay Gould Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31056500
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Jay Gould Lake since 2018, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (300,000 fish).
- Jay Gould Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2018-2025): walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,892,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 33 ft; surface area 552 acres, 292 littoral acres, 7.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, and 4 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Cohasset; DNR lake number (DOW) 31056500.
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 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 2.8 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 2.8 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 3.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 292,000 | 2.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 400,000 | 4.0 |
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 | county | County access on west side of lake. |
| concrete ramp | PRI |
DNR fish survey, 2023
A temperature-dissolved oxygen profile was collected in the deepest basin on Jay Gould Lake on August 7, 2023, to evaluate the amount of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee. Based on the profile, the top of the thermocline (i.e., the location in the water column with the sharpest transition from warm to cold water) occurred at approximately 13 feet. Dissolved oxygen decreased to below 3.0 mg/L at 19 feet, which was within the thermocline, at the time of sampling. The temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to below 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 18.1°C (64.6°F). TDO3 values cooler than 21.5°C indicate that oxythermal conditions are favorable for Cisco. Dissolved oxygen concentrations within the thermocline indicate that suitable oxythermal habitat for Cisco was available across a range of depths at the time of sampling during the summer of 2023. Data collected in 1974-2015 indicate suitable oxythermal habitat in most years, with the least favorable conditions recorded in 1990. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and therefore experience higher levels of stress.
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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