Minnesota · St. Louis County
Little Johnson Lake Fishing guide
Little Johnson Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 566 acres, reaching 28 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeExcellent numbers11.1per gill net15"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 99 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 99 fish
2023Lengths measured · 44 fish
2017Lengths measured · 27 fish
2010Lengths measured · 83 fish
2003Smallmouth bassPresent3.6per gill net14"Typical20"Biggest
Lengths measured · 31 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 31 fish
2023Lengths measured · 40 fish
2017Lengths measured · 23 fish
2010Lengths measured · 40 fish
2003Northern pikeExcellent numbers15.4per gill net20"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 139 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 139 fish
2023Lengths measured · 85 fish
2017Lengths measured · 43 fish
2010Lengths measured · 88 fish
2003No recent survey rating.
Yellow perchGood numbers5.2per gill net6"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 47 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 47 fish
2023Lengths measured · 13 fish
2017Lengths measured · 25 fish
2010Lengths measured · 409 fish
2003Rates 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 Little 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. With 83% 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.
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. With 83% 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.
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 | Northern pike | Smallmouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 25" | 31" | 20" |
| 2017 | 24" | 29" | 17" |
| 2010 | 25" | 23" | 18" |
| 2003 | 26" | 36" | 19" |
| 1998 | 23" | 24" | 16" |
| 1993 | 27" | 27" | 13" |
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
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Northern pike · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
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 2023 survey
Little Johnson Lake is a Class 16 lake located 10 miles northwest of Crane Lake, MN, adjacent to Voyageurs National Park. This remote lake is accessed by boat from Johnson Lake, which is connected to Little Johnson by a 2.5-mile boat ride on the Johnson River. The total surface area is 566 acres and maximum depth is 28 feet. Little Johnson Lake is relatively shallow; 83 percent of the surface area (471 acres) is less than 15 feet deep. A water chemistry analysis done in 2003 suggests a lake with low fertility and low productivity.
Current fishing regulations on Little Johnson Lake for Walleye follow the statewide regulation, which is a 6-combination total possession limit with not more than one Walleye over 20". Northern Pike follows the Northeast Zone regulation, which is a possession limit of 2 with not more than 1 over 40" in possession and all Northern Pike from 30-40" must be immediately released. Bass fishing regulations follow the Northeast Zone regulation, which is six combined Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass possession limit.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye gill-net catch rate was 11.1 fish per net which is well above average for similar lakes. Catch rate was above the management goal of 8.0 fish per net for Little Johnson Lake. Total length ranged from 4.7 to 25.0 inches and mean length was 16.0 inches. Average weight was 1.6 pounds which is above average for similar class lakes. A total of 16 year classes were present, and ages ranged from 1-19 years. Little Johnson Lake offers a good Walleye fishing opportunity, there are good numbers of Walleyes in Little Johnson Lake.
Northern Pike gill-net catch rate was 15.4 fish per net, which is well above the average for similar class lakes. Catch rate was higher than the management goal of an abundance less than 6.0 fish per gill net for Little Johnson Lake. Total length ranged from 13.4 to 31.6 inches and the mean length was 19.9 inches. Mean weight of Northern Pike captured in gill nets was 1.6 pounds which is below average for similar lakes. A total of seven year classes were present, and ages ranged from 1 - 7 years. Little Johnson Lake offers a decent fishing opportunity for Northern Pike.
Smallmouth Bass gill net catch rate was 3.6 fish per net, which is above average for similar class lakes. Total Length ranged from 9.2 to 20.1 inches and the mean was 14.7 inches. Average weight was 1.9 pounds, which is above average for similar class lakes. Ten year classes were present, and ages ranged from 3-20 years. Little Johnson Lake offers a good fishing opportunity with quality Smallmouth Bass in the system.
Yellow Perch gill-net catch rate was 5.2 fish per net, which is below average for similar lakes. Total length ranged from 5.8 to 11.3 inches and the mean length was 7.3 inches. Mean weight was 0.2 pounds, which is below average for similar lakes. Five year classes were present, and ages ranged from 3-7 years. Yellow Perch can offer an additional fishing opportunity but also offers great forage for Walleye and Northern Pike.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Little Johnson Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Little 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: Access from old logging roads
- US Forest Service access: Access by boating from Johnson Lake via the Johnson River.
DNR bathymetry
Little Johnson Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Spring Lake · 219 ac · 2.2 mi
- Net Lake · 70 ac · 2.2 mi
- Tooth Lake · 59 ac · 2.7 mi
- Gannon Lake · 88 ac · 3.5 mi
- Moose Lake · 228 ac · 3.6 mi
- Johnson Lake · 1,737 ac · 3.7 mi
- Long Lake · 478 ac · 4.7 mi
- Namakan Lake · 24,066 ac · 5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Little Johnson Lake?
Little Johnson Lake reaches 28 ft at its deepest point; about 83% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Little Johnson Lake?
Little Johnson Lake covers 566 acres with about 10.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Little Johnson Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Little Johnson Lake average 7.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Little Johnson Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Little Johnson Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Little Johnson Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Little Johnson Lake have a public access?
Yes. Little Johnson Lake has 2 public access sites, including a Public access (Access from old logging roads).
How big do walleye get in Little Johnson Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 25"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Little Johnson Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Little Johnson Lake in 2023, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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