Minnesota · Becker County
Johnson Lake Fishing guide
Johnson Lake is a 183-acre lake in Becker County, Minnesota, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1984, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 42 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Johnson Lake in 1984. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Johnson Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 1984 survey
northern pike, yellow perch, and yellow bullhead populations are all well-above state and local median numbers. The only species to show a signifi cant decline in test net catch is the bluegill- possibly due to change in survey date from late june to late july.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Johnson Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Johnson Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Public access: NONE
DNR bathymetry
Johnson Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Meadow Lake · 71 ac · 2 mi
- Sauer Lake · 193 ac · 2.4 mi
- Melissa Lake · 1,850 ac · 2.9 mi
- Mill Lake · 155 ac · 2.9 mi
- Six Lake · 197 ac · 3.3 mi
- Leek Lake · 621 ac · 3.7 mi
- Sallie Lake · 1,280 ac · 3.7 mi
- Detroit Lake · 3,067 ac · 3.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Johnson Lake?
Johnson Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point; about 55% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Johnson Lake?
Johnson Lake covers 183 acres with about 3.4 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Johnson Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1984) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Johnson Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Johnson Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Johnson Lake have a public access?
Yes. Johnson Lake has one public access site: Public access (NONE).
When was Johnson Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Johnson Lake in 1984. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Johnson Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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