Johnson Lake (Clearwater County)
Clearwater County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 15008600
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Johnson Lake (Clearwater County) since 2016, most recently walleye yearlings in 2024 (477 fish).
- Johnson Lake (Clearwater County) has 9 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2024): walleye (8), bluegill sunfish (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 6,349 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 70 ft; surface area 63 acres, 16 littoral acres, 2.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Clearwater County, nearest town Clearbrook; DNR lake number (DOW) 15008600.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 477 | 63.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | adults | 27 | 27.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,235 | 65.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 512 | 63.0 |
| 2019 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 50 | 10.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,362 | 109.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | yearlings | 300 | 15.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 376 | 56.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 60 | 20.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | county | EAST END OF LAKE OFF OF COUNTY ROAD 15. PARKING FOR 3-4 CARS WITH TRAILERS. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 139.67 | 419 | 0.17 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 127.33 | 382 | 0.11 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.67 | 17 | 2.38 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 7 | 1.83 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 7 | 2.91 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 3 | 1.69 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 21.89 | 197 | 0.09 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 18.11 | 163 | 0.08 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 6.56 | 59 | 0.16 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.67 | 15 | 1.91 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.17 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.44 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.11 |
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.
Johnson Lake (also known as Grant Lake) is a 63-acre, undeveloped natural lake located 8 miles northeast of Clearbrook in northern Clearwater County. Johnson has an average water clarity of 7 feet and a maximum depth of 70 feet. Johnson Lake has multiple small inlets and one outlet connecting to the Clearwater River. A public access is located on county road 15, near the outlet on the northeastern shore. A standard survey was completed on Johnson Lake in 2023 to assess the fish community. Gamefish species targeted by anglers in this lake include Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch. Walleye lengths ranged from 15 to 23 inches and averaged 19 inches. Walleye abundance decreased from 2013 and was below the lake's historical average, but still within the typical range for lakes with similar morphological characteristics. The Walleye population is sustained by stocking on an alternate year rotation. Two year classes were captured, likely originating from the 2018 and 2020 stocking events. Northern Pike abundance was average for the lake and within the typical range for similar lakes in Minnesota. Northern Pike ranged from 16 to 26 inches and averaged 21 inches. Fifty-three percent of the Northern Pike captured in gill nets were larger than 22 inches, but only six percent were over 26 inches. Bluegill abundance remains low and below the normal range for this lake type. Bluegill lengths averaged 6 inches. Pumpkinseed abundance was above average, but fish were small with lengths ranging from 3 to 6 inches. Four Largemouth Bass were captured and averaged 12 inches. Yellow Perch is considered an important forage species for large predators like Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass. Yellow Perch abundance was above average and lengths ranged from 5 to 9 inches. Other species sampled during the survey included Black Bullhead and White Sucker. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been found in Johnson Lake. AIS can be transferred by anglers and boats from infested to non-infested waterbodies. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the lake. Please follow the current AIS regulations to avoid spreading to other lakes.
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.
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