Minnesota · Sherburne County
Julia Lake Fishing guide
Julia Lake covers 155 acres in Sherburne County, Minnesota, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 17 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Fair numbers3per gill net17"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 12 fish
2024Lengths measured · 46 fish
2024Lengths measured · 38 fish
2022Lengths measured · 46 fish
2021No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeJust a few5.5per gill net20"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 22 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 22 fish
2024Lengths measured · 8 fish
2019Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 32 fish
2015Lengths measured · 13 fish
2009CrappiePresent62.3per gill net4"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 249 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 249 fish
2024Lengths measured · 241 fish
2019Lengths measured · 53 fish
2015Lengths measured · 105 fish
2009Rates 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 Julia Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2 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 100% 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 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 2 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 15-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 | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23" | 14" | 27" |
| 2022 | 27" | — | — |
| 2021 | 25" | — | — |
| 2019 | 26" | 19" | 32" |
| 2018 | 23" | — | — |
| 2016 | 20" | — | — |
| 2015 | 19" | 17" | 30" |
| 2014 | 22" | — | — |
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:
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 · Jigs & bladed
Skirted Casting Jig + Craw Trailer
3.5–4" craw-style trailer on a skirted casting/flipping jig
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 136,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 136,000 fry |
| 2021 | Bluegill Sunfish | 600 yearlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 136,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 136,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 136,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Briggs, Julia, and Rush Lakes are located five miles north of the City of Clear Lake in northern Sherburne County and together make up the Briggs Chain of Lakes. The lakes are connected by a navigable channel and together make up the Briggs Chain of Lakes. The lakes are shallow and eutrophic. Maximum depths range from 11 feet in Julia to 25 feet in Briggs. They also have relatively poor water quality and experience nuisance algal blooms throughout the summer. Trophic State Index (TSI) values, based on the 10-year average of summer water quality samples, ranged from 63 on Julia to 66 on Rush which classify the lakes as eutrophic. Walleye is the primary managed species on the Briggs Chain with fry being stocked every other year since 1990. A targeted survey consisting of gill nets was completed in 2024 to update data last collected in 2019.
These lakes are eutrophic with relatively poor water quality and experience nuisance algal blooms throughout the summer. The immediate watershed surrounding the Briggs Chain is large (10,107 acres) and land use within the watershed is comprised of 33% cultivated crops, 27% open water/wetlands, 23% forest, 13% hay/pasture, and 6% developed. Because of the large agricultural influence within the watershed water quality of these relatively shallow lakes is affected.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Briggs Chain is connected to the Elk River through Briggs Creek and during periods of high water, fish from the Elk River can move into the chain through Rush Lake. Catches of riverine species such as White Sucker, Shorthead and Silver Redhorse, Channel Catfish, and Smallmouth Bass reflect this connection. Black Bullhead, Bowfin, Common Carp, and Yellow Bullhead are known to be present as well.
The Walleye catch on the Briggs Chain of Lakes was similar to 2019 survey but remained below the long-term average. Anglers have a wide range of sizes available to them as fish from five to 23 inches were recorded during the survey, with the average length being 17 inches. Walleye grew at an average rate in the Briggs Chain and reached a length of 17 inches by age four. Natural reproduction appears to be making a larger contribution to the Walleye fishery compared to past years with the 2020 and 2023 (both non stocked) year classes comprising 45% of the sample. Although there appears to be some natural reproduction, spring fry stocking will continue to be used as the management strategy to sustain the population.
The Northern Pike catch was higher in 2024 than 2019 and was above the long-term average. Northern Pike ranged in length from 16 to 32 inches with an average of 21 inches. Only 16% of the pike sampled were 26 inches or longer and 1% were 30 inches or longer. Anglers are encouraged to harvest fish smaller than 22 inches and release the larger pike. This will help maintain a healthy predator/prey balance within the fish community.
Yellow Perch numbers in 2024 were down from 2019 and remained below the long-term average for the chain of lakes. Although not generally of much interest to anglers due to their small size, they are an important source of food for predators.
Panfish species in the Briggs Chain include Bluegill, Black Crappie, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed and White Crappie. Crappies provide a popular fishing opportunity in the Briggs Chain and although both species are present, Black Crappies are more common than White Crappie based on survey results. Black Crappie were sampled at a higher rate than in 2019 and gill net catches exceeded the expected range for lakes with similar characteristics and were similar to the record high catches of the early 1980's. Black Crappie ranged in length from four to 14 inches but 96% of the crappies caught in the survey were less than eight inches in length and will need a year or two of growth before they are of interest to most anglers. Few Bluegills were sampled in 2024; however gill net catch rates of Bluegill have historically been low in the Briggs Chain averaging only 2.3 fish/gill net since 1982.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Julia Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Julia 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
- Julia Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Julia Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Briggs Lake · 404 ac · 0.8 mi
- Rush Lake · 161 ac · 1.1 mi
- Elk Lake · 357 ac · 2.6 mi
- Camp Lake · 82 ac · 4.7 mi
- Round Lake · 36 ac · 7.1 mi
- Clear Lake · 113 ac · 7.2 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 108 ac · 7.2 mi
- Long Lake · 174 ac · 7.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Julia Lake?
Julia Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 8.2 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Julia Lake?
Julia Lake covers 155 acres with about 2.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Julia Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Julia Lake average 2 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Julia Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Julia Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Julia Lake have a public access?
Yes. Julia Lake has one public access site: Julia Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Julia Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2014.
When was Julia Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Julia Lake in 2024, the most recent of 17 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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