Jolly Ann Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56037000
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Jolly Ann Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (131,000 fish).
- Jolly Ann Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2017-2025): walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 705,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 89 ft; surface area 326 acres, 131 littoral acres, 6.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 13.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, and 2 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Dalton; DNR lake number (DOW) 56037000.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 131,000 | 1.2 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fry | 50,000 | 0.4 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 131,000 | 1.1 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 131,000 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 131,000 | 1.1 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 131,000 | 1.1 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 73.87 | 41 | 0.93 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 21.00 | 147 | 0.11 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 11.14 | 78 | 0.25 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 7.00 | 49 | 0.95 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.86 | 13 | 0.28 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 7 | 6.00 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.86 | 6 | 0.55 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.29 | 2 | 0.75 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.14 | 1 | 3.07 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 8.80 | 44 | 2.47 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 6.60 | 33 | 0.82 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.20 | 16 | 0.17 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.60 | 13 | 2.29 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.20 | 6 | 1.06 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.20 | 1 | 0.67 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.20 | 1 | 1.38 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.20 | 1 | 3.28 |
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.
Jolly Ann Lake is a 256-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in south-central Otter Tail County approximately eleven miles southeast of Dalton, MN. Jolly Ann Lake is located within the Pomme de Terre River Watershed, and an unnavigable outlet is located along the southwest shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land. Jolly Ann Lake has a maximum depth of 89 feet; however, 51% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2025 survey was 16.2 feet. Previous secchi disk readings ranged from 8.5 to 12.0 feet. The majority of the shoreline is undeveloped. A DNR owned concrete public water access is located along the southwest shoreline. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Emergent aquatic vegetation (hardstem bulrush and common cattail) is prevalent throughout the lake. Emergent plants are important because they provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms from erosion and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning habitat for fish species like Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological importance, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. Jolly Ann Lake can be ecologically classified as a Walleye-Bass-Panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species present. The Walleye population is moderately abundant. Walleyes ranged in length from 6.4 to 26.0 inches with an average length and weight of 19.6 inches and 2.5 pounds. Walleyes attain a mean length of 15.6 inches at three years of age. The Walleye population is sustained by MN DNR Fisheries stocking Walleye fry on an every other year basis. Largemouth Bass are also moderately abundant. Age and length data indicate that Largemouth Bass reproduction is consistently good. Bass ranged in length from 3.0 to 18.6 inches. Largemouth Bass attain an average length of 13.9 inches at four years of age. Northern Pike population characteristics have historically remained stable. Northern Pike abundance has remained at a moderate density and natural reproduction has continued to occur at a consistently low level.…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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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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