Minnesota · St. Louis County
Johnson Lake Fishing guide
Johnson Lake is a 456-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 3.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeFair numbers7.3per gill net21"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 69 fish
2022Lengths measured · 37 fish
2018Lengths measured · 44 fish
2012Lengths measured · 36 fish
2007BluegillJust a few23.8per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 226 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 226 fish
2022Lengths measured · 84 fish
2018Lengths measured · 203 fish
2012Lengths measured · 62 fish
2007CrappieJust a few6.3per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 69 fish
2022Lengths measured · 54 fish
2018Lengths measured · 35 fish
2012Lengths measured · 20 fish
2007Yellow perchFair numbers2.6per gill net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 24 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 24 fish
2022Lengths measured · 11 fish
2018Lengths measured · 19 fish
2012Lengths measured · 46 fish
2007Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Johnson Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 3.8 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 93% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3.8 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 93% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 30" | 23" | 18" |
| 2018 | 42" | 27" | 17" |
| 2012 | 30" | 18" | — |
| 2007 | 32" | 26" | 8" |
| 2002 | 39" | 27" | 12" |
| 1997 | 39" | 26" | 2" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Walleye · Trolling
Planer Board Spread
4–6" crankbait or a 5–6 ft crawler harness run out to the side on an in-line planer board
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 212,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 212,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 212,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 212,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 212,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 5,978 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
Johnson Lake is located approximately 6 miles south of Ely in the Superior National Forest. The rolling shoreline is forested in a pine-hardwood mix and is lightly developed by area standards. Maximum depth is 19 feet and much of the lake is shallower than 15 feet. A heavy bog stain limits water clarity, which was four feet at the time of the survey. Submerged vegetation is sparse, but emergent vegetation is prominent in shallow bays.
A gravel access is located on the southeast side of the lake off CR 21. Shallow rocks and tight corners can make launching a large boat difficult. A 3/4 mile portage to the Beaver River is located on the west end of Johnson Lake and is most often used by snowmobiles.
Read the full DNR narrative
Eleven species of fish were sampled in this survey of Johnson Lake. Total yield for both gill nets (22.6 lbs/net) and trap nets (27.7 lbs/net) were the highest on record for the lake. Northern pike dominated the gill net catch and bluegill dominated the trap net sets. Black crappie were sampled in numbers near their historic average. Low numbers of other gamefish, including walleye and largemouth bass, were also sampled. Black bullhead were first detected in 2018, and were present in greater size and abundance in 2022.
Northern pike numbers (7.3/gill net) were the highest surveyed for the lake and above the third quartile (6.3/gill net) when compared to similar lakes in the area. The average pike measured 21 inches which was larger than the historic average of 19.5 inches. Seventeen percent of the pike were longer than 24 inches, and the largest pike was 31 inches. Though not represented in this survey Johnson has produced trophy pike occasionally.
Bluegill numbers (23.8/trap net) were also the highest on record and well above the third quartile (6.3/gill net) of the lake class. The average bluegill was just over 6 inches which was similar to the average for Johnson Lake. Only 2% of the bluegill were 8 inches or larger. Growth rates were average for the lake class. The largest bluegill was nearly 10 inches long. Anglers are encouraged to release large bluegill to maintain quality size structure.
Black crappie abundance (6.3/trap net) was on par with the historic average for this lake and above average (3.1/trap net) for its lake class. The crappie average length was just over 8 inches, which was near the overall lake average. Forty-six percent of the crappie sampled in 2018 were 8 inches or larger with a maximum length of 11 inches. The 2014 and 2018 year classes were most prevalent.
Six walleye were sampled with the majority captured in trap nets. Sizes ranged from 15.5 to 23 inches and growth rates were normal for the area. Eighty percent of aged fish were from stocked years.
Largemouth bass were captured in low abundance but at a quality size of 18 inches. Standard survey nets traditionally undersample bass and they are likely more abundant than this survey suggests.
A few of the game fish examined in 2022 were infected with neascus (black spot). It is a common parasite native to the area.
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
- Johnson Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Johnson Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- One Pine Lake · 354 ac · 1.9 mi
- Blueberry Lake · 125 ac · 2.3 mi
- Mitchell Lake · 248 ac · 3.1 mi
- Bear Island Lake · 2,363 ac · 3.5 mi
- Twin Lake · 224 ac · 3.5 mi
- Muckwa Lake · 147 ac · 3.5 mi
- Perch Lake · 100 ac · 3.6 mi
- Erickson Lake · 21 ac · 3.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Johnson Lake?
Johnson Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point; about 93% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Johnson Lake?
Johnson Lake covers 456 acres with about 10.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Johnson Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Johnson Lake average 3.8 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Johnson Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Johnson Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Johnson Lake have a public access?
Yes. Johnson Lake has one public access site: Johnson Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Johnson Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Johnson Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Johnson Lake in 2022, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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