Johnson Lake (Itasca County)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31058600
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Johnson Lake (Itasca County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2016 (122,000 fish).
- Johnson Lake (Itasca County) has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 122,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 88 ft; surface area 434 acres, 146 littoral acres, 7.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 14.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Grand Rapids; DNR lake number (DOW) 31058600.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 122,000 | 1.2 |
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 | - Off Hwy 38 on south shore of lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 36.22 | 326 | 0.05 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.22 | 20 | 0.36 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 2.85 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.26 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.35 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.16 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.13 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 3.42 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 6.89 | 62 | 2.20 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 5.56 | 50 | 0.11 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.22 | 20 | 1.81 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.22 | 20 | 0.33 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.89 | 17 | 0.06 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.56 | 14 | 3.24 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.10 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.19 |
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 clear, deep lake covering about 492 acres and located roughly thirteen miles north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 88 feet and has excellent water clarity, with visibility of about 17 feet during the 2025 survey. Shallow nearshore habitat makes up about 146 acres, and the shoreline extends for approximately 7.4 miles. During summer sampling, oxygen levels dropped to very low levels between about 65 and 75 feet, which means fish had suitable cold, oxygenated water above that depth. A concrete public boat access is available on the south shore and is open for public use. The Lake Management Plan for Johnson Lake was last updated in 2015. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie, with Northern Pike as a secondary focus. Management goals include maintaining strong bass numbers and providing Black Crappie large enough for anglers to harvest. No recent fish stocking has occurred, and none is currently recommended because fish populations are reproducing naturally. Fishing regulations follow statewide rules. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources surveyed the lake from June 18 through June 26, 2025, using gill nets, trap nets, and water quality equipment. Spring electrofishing for bass was not completed during this survey period due to workload limitations. Even though bass electrofishing was not done during this survey, both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass were still caught in gill nets. Largemouth Bass were found at higher levels than what is typical for similar lakes. The Largemouth Bass that were sampled ranged from about 11 to 19 inches long, which means anglers can expect a good number of fish at desirable sizes. Only one Smallmouth Bass was caught, measuring about 15 inches, which suggests they are present but not common in the lake. Black Crappie were present at moderate levels compared to similar lakes. Crappie up to 12 inches were present, with an average length near 8 inches. While some fish approached desirable harvest size, most crappies were under ten inches. The catch was too small to fully evaluate size or age structure, but results indicate ongoing reproduction but variable year-class strength. Northern Pike were commonly caught in gill nets and were more abundant than what is typically seen in similar lakes. Pike ranged in length from about 14 to 29 inches, with an average length of 21.8 inches. Most pike were in the smaller to mid-size range, with many fish just reaching sizes that anglers consider good eating. Fewer large pike were present, and no very large…
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.