Jackson County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 7 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
Only 7 lakes in Jackson County carry an active grade. The county-level summary is therefore representative of those specific lakes, not necessarily of every water body in the county. On average, Jackson County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Fish Lake (C) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Jackson County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Fish Lake — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Jackson County
DNR Reports (17)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Jackson County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoundFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PearlFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LoonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little SpiritFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ClearFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ClearFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClearPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Fish (Main Lake)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HeronPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little SpiritFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little SpiritPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — LoonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — LoonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PearlFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PearlPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RoundFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoundPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Jackson County
7 lakes · 6 graded, 1 not rated6 graded lakes · 1 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CFish LakeJackson | C | 4.5 ft | 45.5 µg/L | 13.1 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | DRound LakeJackson | D | 2 ft | 77 µg/L | 14.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 9 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | DLittle Spirit LakeJackson | D | 3.3 ft | 236 µg/L | 19.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public |
| 4 | FClear LakeJackson | F | 1.5 ft | 90.5 µg/L | 44 µg/L | No recent samples | 9 ft | ✓ Public |
| 5 | FLoon LakeJackson | F | 0.9 ft | 274 µg/L | 110 µg/L | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public |
| 6 | FPearl LakeJackson | F | 1 ft | 153 µg/L | 102.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 6 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRHeron LakeJackson | NR | 1 ft | 27 µg/L | 53.4 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Jackson County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.