Minnesota · Jackson County
Loon Lake Fishing guide
Loon Lake sits in Jackson County, Minnesota, and covers 708 acres, reaching 8 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 1.1 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 18 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025One of the best around21.3per gill net10"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 80 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 80 fish
2024Lengths measured · 16 fish
2024Lengths measured · 71 fish
2023Lengths measured · 203 fish
2020Northern pikeLast stocked 2025Just a few2.3per gill net22"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 13 fish
2024Lengths measured · 6 fish
2020Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
2016Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2012Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
No recent survey rating.
CrappieLast stocked 2025Just a few4.2per trap net8"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 52 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 52 fish
2024Lengths measured · 19 fish
2020Lengths measured · 8 fish
2016Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 60 fish
2012Yellow perchLast stocked 2025Fair numbers3.3per gill net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 16 fish
2024Lengths measured · 39 fish
2020Lengths measured · 27 fish
2016Lengths measured · 20 fish
2012Rates 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 Loon Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 1.1 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 8-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 1.1 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 8-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 | 25" | 10" | 33" |
| 2023 | 10" | — | — |
| 2020 | 24" | 14" | 33" |
| 2017 | 7" | — | — |
| 2016 | 26" | — | 28" |
| 2012 | 24" | — | 27" |
| 2008 | 27" | 16" | 32" |
| 2004 | 27" | — | 39" |
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 · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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 | Black Crappie | 2,000 adults |
| 2025 | Northern Pike | 1,272 fingerlings |
| 2025 | Walleye | 369,000 fry |
| 2025 | Yellow Perch | 2,000 adults |
| 2024 | Northern Pike | 1,530 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Northern Pike | 2,296 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 369,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 369,000 fry |
| 2021 | Northern Pike | 587 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 369,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 369,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 369,000 fry |
Stocking records before 2018 omitted.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Loon Lake is a 738-acre class 43 lake with a maximum depth of 8 feet, located in Jackson County, approximately 10 miles south of the City of Lakefield near the Iowa-Minnesota border. The surrounding land use of Loon Lake is largely agricultural, often resulting in nutrient rich, turbid water. Historically, Loon Lake was susceptible to winterkill; however, severe winterkill events have rarely occurred in the last decade, with the most recent partial winterkill occurring during the winter of 2013 - 2014. Many lakes in the Windom Area experienced some partial winterkill during the winter of 2022-23. That was not documented or observed on Loon Lake during that winter. Loon Lake is managed primarily for Walleye and secondarily for Yellow Perch and Northern Pike. A survey was conducted the week of July 8, 2024, to monitor fish populations using three gill nets and 12 trap nets.
Catch rates of Walleye in surveys on Loon Lake have ranged from 3.0 (1983) to 30.3 (2016) per gill net with a long-term average of 12.7 per gill net since 1983. The 2024 Walleye catch rate was 21.3 per gill net, which is the third highest observed catch rate, and the catch rate has exceeded the 75% quartile for the third consecutive survey in a row. Four-year classes of Walleye were sampled (2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023), all of which corresponded to years when stocking occurred. Targeted Sampling for Walleye in the fall of 2023 using electrofishing documented 142.0 Walleye per hour. Additionally, fin clips were taken to determine the percentage of Walleye that were stocked vs natural reproduction. With that said, natural reproduction has been documented in the past, so the habitat is available for potential success. The previous natural reproduction check when stocking did not occur was in 2020 and we documented 101.5 Age-0 Walleye per hour. Sixty-two percent of those fish were categorized as the strain of Walleye found in Lake Sarah in Murray County. Another 16 percent of those Walleye were categorized as Spicer strain. The take home message is there is habitat for Walleye natural reproduction, and we have documented it in the past. The strain composition of those naturally reproduced fish is quite high with Lake Sarah Walleye (LMS) genetics.
Read the full DNR narrative
In 2024, the Yellow Perch catch rate was 3.3 fish per gill net which is below the long-term average of 8.1 fish per gill net. The relative abundance basically matched the 25% quartile (2.7 fish/gill net) for class 43 lake. We suspect the relatively low Yellow Perch numbers since the late 1990s is likely a byproduct of a robust predator population (Walleye, Northern Pike, or Channel Catfish). The size of Yellow Perch sampled in gill nets ranged from 8.2 to 10.1 inches. So, while the numbers of Yellow Perch were not real abundant, the sizes of fish sampled were respectable and likely good broodstock for natural reproduction provided environmental conditions are favorable for a successful year class. The take home message is although the numbers of Yellow Perch are relatively low, the sizes of the fish are respectable for the angler.
The 2024 Black Crappie catch rate of 4.2 per trap net was up slightly from the 2020 survey. Black Crappie lengths ranged from 4.5 to 13.9 inches and averaged 8.9 inches (PSD=66, PSD-P=32). Given the array of lengths of Black Crappie measured during the survey, it is safe to say there are multiple year classes and broodstock available for producing the next year class.
Northern Pike anglers likely see a bright spot on catch rates on Loon Lake in 2024 and beyond. Seven Northern Pike were captured in gill nets during the 2024 survey with lengths ranging from 20.1 to 32.6 inches and averaging 23.8 inches. Although they need to 24 inches to harvest, their relative abundance numbers are encouraging. Since the last survey on Loon in 2020, Northern Pike have been stocked three separate years and amounted to 4,413 fall fingerlings. There is a high probability these fish have contributed to the fishery since the 2020 survey.
The Black Bullhead catch rate remained relatively low given their historical trend. The catch rate of Black Bullhead in gill nets during the 2024 survey was 39 per gill net. While it is below the long-term average, the catch rate finally was above the 25% quartile (30.3 per gill net). Lengths of Black Bullheads ranged from 5.0 to 13.6 inches and averaged 8.1 inches. The trajectory of Common Carp relative abundance remains low. However, Bigmouth Buffalo trajectory in both trap nets and gill nets appears to be increasing. The 2024 Bigmouth Buffalo catch rate in gill nets was record high at 8.7 fish per gill net which is basically two-fold the previous survey in 2020. Other species sample included Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Shortnose Gar, White Bass, and White Sucker.
During fall electrofishing, we documented the presence of Yellow Bass in Loon Lake. Although no Yellow Bass were sampled during the netting survey, we believe their relative abundances at the time of the survey were low.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Loon Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Loon 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
- Loon Lake (trailer launch)
- Loon Lake (E) (trailer launch)
- Loon Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
- Loon Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Loon Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Pearl Lake · 117 ac · 1 mi
- Rush Lake · 243 ac · 1.6 mi
- Little Spirit Lake · 624 ac · 2.5 mi
- Clear Lake · 434 ac · 6.2 mi
- Heron (South Heron) Lake · 2,641 ac · 14.2 mi
- Flahtery Lake · 457 ac · 15.1 mi
- Independence Lake · 99 ac · 15.8 mi
- Round Lake · 930 ac · 16.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Loon Lake?
Loon Lake reaches 8 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Loon Lake?
Loon Lake covers 708 acres with about 6.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Loon Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Loon Lake average 1.1 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Loon Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, white bass.
Is Loon Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked black crappie, northern pike, walleye and yellow perch in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2018.
Does Loon Lake have a public access?
Yes. Loon Lake has 4 public access sites, including Loon Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Loon 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 2004.
When was Loon Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Loon Lake in 2024, the most recent of 18 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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