John Reservoir
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 87018100
DNR records show 17 stocking entries at John Reservoir since 2016, most recently walleye adults in 2025 (90 fish).
- John Reservoir has 17 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): walleye (17).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 4,257 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 12 ft; surface area 21 acres, 21 littoral acres, 1.2 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, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Yellow Medicine County, nearest town Porter; DNR lake number (DOW) 87018100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/13/1996 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 90 | 150.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 340 | 305.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | adults | 88 | 88.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 625 | 125.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 359 | 212.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | adults | 153 | 243.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | yearlings | 129 | 86.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | adults | 235 | 150.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | yearlings | 236 | 118.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 391 | 667.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 40 | 20.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | adults | 490 | 548.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 56 | 35.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | adults | 403 | 342.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 300 | 300.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 112 | 197.2 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 210 | 220.6 |
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 | WAT | Located 3 miles west of Porter; MN; east of County Rd E1 and north of County Hwy 20 in section 36. Owned by Yellow Medicine River Watershed District. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | 1/4-in trap nets | 198.00 | 792 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 1/4-in trap nets | 17.50 | 70 | 0.00 |
| Orangespotted sunfish | 1/4-in trap nets | 6.00 | 24 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 1/4-in trap nets | 5.00 | 20 | 0.00 |
| White sucker | 1/4-in trap nets | 2.50 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 1/4-in trap nets | 2.00 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Tadpole madtom | 1/4-in trap nets | 1.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 8.80 | 88 | 0.48 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 4.10 | 41 | 0.14 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.60 | 26 | 0.38 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 2.30 | 23 | 0.21 |
| Orangespotted sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 10 | 0.03 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.70 | 7 | 2.21 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 5 | 3.19 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.40 | 4 | 1.64 |
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.
John Reservoir is located approximately three miles west of Porter in Yellow Medicine County. John is a 20-acre flood control impoundment on a tributary to Mud Creek that was constructed by the Yellow Medicine River Watershed District in 1981. Public property surrounds almost the entire lake, including a concrete boat ramp, making this water body very accessible. Fishing opportunities exist for black crappies, bluegills, yellow perch, walleyes, northern pike and black bullheads. This 2024 targeted survey was conducted to collect routine fish population data using standard and small-mesh trap nets. These data can be compared to historical standard and targeted survey data from John Lake. Black crappies were moderately abundant and the average size was 9 inches, with some exceeding 11 inches. Moderate numbers of bluegills were present including relatively high numbers of 3 to 4-inchers, but some were 7.5 to 8.5 inches as well. Yearling and/or adult walleyes are stocked annually. Walleyes caught in this survey were 10-24 inches. Northern pike numbers have usually been low, but large fish have typically been present. Five pike were caught and the largest was 27 inches. John Reservoir is in the southern northern pike management zone where two pike are allowed in possession and they must have a minimum length of 24 inches. Black bullheads were present in moderate numbers and they averaged 9 inches. The yellow perch catch was moderate and most were 7 to 9 inches. Future management activities include fish population assessments, fish stocking, winter dissolved oxygen monitoring and fishing pressure counts.
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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