Johnson Lake (Itasca County, DOW 31068700)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31068700
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Johnson Lake (Itasca County, DOW 31068700) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (89,000 fish).
- Johnson Lake (Itasca County, DOW 31068700) has 8 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2017-2025): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 732,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 51 ft; surface area 304 acres, 89 littoral acres, 3.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 11.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Marcell; DNR lake number (DOW) 31068700.
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 | 89,000 | 1.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 89,000 | 0.9 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 1.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 89,000 | 0.9 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 89,000 | 0.9 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 89,000 | 0.9 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 89,000 | 1.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 98,000 | 0.9 |
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 | UKN | User-developed access off USFS Rd 2182 at south end of lake. Shallow access with no parking. |
DNR fish survey, 2018
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 32.44 | 292 | 0.09 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 18 | 5.22 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 1.89 | 17 | 0.20 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.08 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.54 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.16 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.07 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 2.00 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 38 | 2.18 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 12 | 3.02 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.85 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 2.48 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.22 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 1.79 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.10 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.28 |
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 is a small, clear water lake located two miles north of Marcell, MN in the Bigfork River watershed. There is one inlet from Forest Lake and Jack the Horse Lake, and one outlet to Rice Lake and ultimately the Rice River. Johnson Lake has suitable habitat to produce moderate populations of Northern Pike and panfish, and has a low-density Walleye population supported by stocking. The lake management plan (LMP) was last revised in 2009. Walleye were considered primary management species because of annual fry stocking. Northern Pike, Black Crappie and Bluegill were considered secondary management species. A standard survey was conducted in 2018 to assess the status of the fish community and the effectiveness of Walleye fry stocking. The Walleye gill-net catch was typical for the lake and lakes with similar habitat. Four year classes were identified with age 4 fish the most frequently sampled. All fish corresponded to stocked years, although nine of the previous ten years were stocked. Sampled Walleye ranged from 15 to 28 inches with an average length of 20 inches. Growth was average; Walleye averaged 16 inches at age 4. Johnson Lake provides anglers the opportunity to catch an occasional Walleye, though they are not abundant. The Northern Pike gill-net catch was average compared to similar lakes and had decreased from the three previous surveys. This is considered an improvement, since Northern Pike size quality is generally better when they occur at lower densities. Northern Pike size structure was still fairly poor; sampled pike ranged from 18 to 29 inches with an average length of 22 inches. Ages 2-8 were represented in the sample, with age 3 and 4 fish the most frequently sampled. Pike averaged 21 inches at age 4. Poor size quality may limit the popularity of the pike fishery. The north central pike zone regulation implemented in 2018 requires anglers to release pike from 22-26 inches, while allowing for more harvest of small pike. It is hoped that this regulation will improve size quality on Johnson Lake. The trap-net catch for Bluegill was the highest on record, but within the typical range for lakes with similar habitat. A trend of increased Bluegill catches has been noted in many area lakes in recent years and is consistent with statewide trends. Size structure was modest. Sampled Bluegill ranged from 3 to 9 inches with an average length of 5 inches. The age distribution suggested frequent but irregular recruitment. Ages 3-10 were represented, with ages 3, 6 and 7 the most frequently sampled. About half the sample was age 6 or older…
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.
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.