Pearl Lake (Jackson County)
Jackson County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 32003300
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Pearl Lake (Jackson County) since 2016, most recently northern pike fingerlings in 2025 (234 fish).
- Pearl Lake (Jackson County) has 6 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2025): walleye (4), northern pike (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 117,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 6 ft; surface area 117 acres, 117 littoral acres, 1.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 0.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, northern pike, shortnose gar, walleye, white sucker, and 2 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Jackson County, nearest town Jackson; DNR lake number (DOW) 32003300.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 234 | 58.5 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 29,250 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 29,250 | 0.2 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 29,250 | 0.2 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 29,250 | 0.2 |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 1,088 | 13.6 |
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 | county | - COUNTY ACCESS ON SOUTHWEST SIDE OF LAKE. |
| CA | county | - COUNTY PARK ON EAST SIDE OF LAKE. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 43.00 | 43 | 0.52 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard gill nets | 6.00 | 6 | 3.51 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 4 | 5.95 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 4 | 0.48 |
| Freshwater drum | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 4 | 1.16 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 3 | 0.30 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 3.31 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 6.83 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 13.67 | 164 | 0.44 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 7.92 | 95 | 0.58 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard trap nets | 3.92 | 47 | 5.49 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 1.42 | 17 | 7.91 |
| Freshwater drum | Standard trap nets | 1.25 | 15 | 1.62 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.17 | 14 | 1.46 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 12 | 0.36 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.83 | 10 | 3.27 |
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.
Pearl Lake is a 117-acre, class 43 lake located in Jackson County approximately 9 miles southwest of the City of Jackson, near the Iowa-Minnesota border. Pearl Lake is shallow with an average depth of 4.0 ft. and a maximum depth of 6.0 ft. Pearl Lake is managed primarily for Black Crappie and secondarily for Northern Pike, Walleye and Yellow Perch. Stocking efforts have included Walleye fry in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025. Northern Pike fingerlings (8.2 to 12.2 inches, mean length = 10.3 inches) were stocked in 2016 and 2025. A population assessment was conducted during the week of June 30, 2025 to monitor fish populations using one gill net and 12 trap nets. The 2019 Northern Pike catch rate was 1.0 per gill net, which is below the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.1 to 8.0 per gill net). Northern Pike catch rates have been very low for decades in Pearl Lake (0.0 to 1.0 per net). The Northern Pike population should increase due to increased production and stocking of Northern Pike fingerlings in the Windom Area. Lengths of Northern Pike ranged from 19.9 to 30.8 inches and averaged 24.8 inches. The management goal was not met because the catch rate did not exceed 3.0 per gill net. In October of 2025, 234 Northern Pike fingerlings were stocked in an effort to bolster the population. If available, fingerling or adult Northern Pike should be stocked to increase abundance. Yellow Perch catch rates have historically been stable in Pearl Lake, varying from 26.0 per gill net in 1993 to 37.0 per gill net in 1988. The 2025 Yellow Perch catch rate was 1.0 per gill net, which is the lowest catch rate observed since 2001, and was below the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.7 to 25.0 per gill net). Per the management plan, 100 pounds of pre-spawn Yellow Perch will be stocked in 2026. Black Crappie catch rates have varied from 2.3 per trap net in 2013 to 20.4 per trap net in 2001 and have averaged 10.6 per trap net since 1988. In 2025, the Black Crappie catch rate was 13.7 per trap net, which is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.2 to 20.5 per trap net). Black Crappie ranged in length from 4.4 to 12.5 inches with a mean length of 9.2 inches. At least four-year classes of Black Crappie were sampled, based on the length frequency histogram. The management goal was met because the catch rate was within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes. Pearl Lake has historically had Walleye present (because of its direct connection to Loon Lake, which is stocked with Walleye), as catch rates have varied from…
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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