Johanna Lake (Pope County)
Pope County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 61000600
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Johanna Lake (Pope County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (700,000 fish).
- Johanna Lake (Pope County) has 8 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2016-2025): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 5,650,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 10 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 1,399 acres, 1,399 littoral acres, 14.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Pope County, nearest town Brooten; DNR lake number (DOW) 61000600.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 700,000 | 5.7 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 700,000 | 6.6 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 700,000 | 6.3 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 700,000 | 6.4 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 700,000 | 6.3 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 700,000 | 5.7 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 700,000 | 6.5 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 750,000 | 7.3 |
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 | - Located on north west side off 150th Avenue |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 68.33 | 820 | 0.03 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 25.25 | 303 | 0.04 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 9.58 | 115 | 0.06 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 4.42 | 53 | 0.42 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.50 | 42 | 0.28 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 2.08 | 25 | 0.07 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.17 | 14 | 0.06 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.92 | 11 | 3.25 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 53.67 | 322 | 0.63 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 22.33 | 134 | 0.07 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 8.33 | 50 | 3.65 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 6.50 | 39 | 0.29 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 5.50 | 33 | 0.08 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 5.50 | 33 | 0.06 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 2.17 | 13 | 0.38 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 6 | 4.31 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 25.00 | 25 | 0.92 |
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.
Lake Johanna is a shallow prairie lake located in southeastern Pope County. The lake is comprised of a large southern basin with a maximum depth of 10 feet, and a northern basin and many smaller bays that are generally less than 6 feet deep. The many shallow bays are often densely vegetated and sustain clearer water. Water transparency exceeded 10 feet at time of the June 2022 survey. Water quality and clarity in the main basin can decline during summer months, especially after curly leaf pondweed deteriorates. Fish community structure and fishing quality continue to be influenced by severity and frequency of winterkill events. Fish predation by abundant populations of American White Pelican and Double-crested Cormorant may also affect this fishery. Most of the angling pressure in the summer months consists of anglers targeting Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike. Recreational activities in the winter are typically focused on Northern Pike spearing. A standard survey was conducted in 2022 to assess the current fish community. Partial winterkill events since the last survey have likely claimed some of the larger sunfish, bass, and Walleye in Lake Johanna. The fish community was dominated by Northern Pike, sunfish, and bullheads during the 2022 survey. Northern Pike abundance is near the long term average for Lake Johanna and almost half of the pike caught in the survey were over 26 inches long. Brown Bullhead and Yellow Bullhead catch rates were high and many of these fish were large. Compared to other species in the lake, Northern Pike and bullheads are more tolerant of low oxygen levels during winterkill events and this is why they are often more abundant and larger than other species in the lake. Bluegill numbers were the highest ever observed in Lake Johanna, but a majority of the fish were less than 6 inches and only 2 years old. Largemouth Bass numbers were moderate and the largest fish observed was 17 inches. Black Crappie abundance is also low and many of the fish were small at the time of the survey. Walleye abundance continues to decline, despite continued stocking efforts. Fish growth rates in Lake Johanna are fast, and in the absence of continued winterkill events, many species should reach larger sizes in just a few years. Lake Johanna is not currently known to have any invasive species. Recreational users should take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of invasive species. Drain all water and remove all aquatic vegetation from your boat and trailer when leaving any body of water.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.