Jack the Horse Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota363 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Jack the Horse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 45 ft max depth
Jack the Horse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 363.48 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 2004 caught 0.38 walleye per gill net at Jack the Horse Lake. DNR survey details →
Jack the Horse Lake is a 363-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 45 feet (11-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Jack the Horse Lake ranks #36 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Jack the Horse Lake covers about 360 acres in Itasca County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Jack the Horse Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Jack the Horse Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.6 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water45 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Jack the Horse Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Jack the Horse Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Jack the Horse Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.6 ft. Phosphorus 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Jack the Horse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Jack the Horse Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in May (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 162 field readings (2021–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Jack the Horse Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 2004 caught 0.38 walleye per gill net at Jack the Horse Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Jack the Horse Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2004-07-12 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2004-07-12 (Standard Survey)
22 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 16.71 | 2–8 in 2004-07-12 | 0.13 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 12.00 | 5–13 in 2004-07-12 | 0.4 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.38 | 1–18 in 2004-07-12 | 1.15 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.25 | 3–8 in 2004-07-12 | 0.15 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.93 | 13–34 in 2004-07-12 | 1.93 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.72 | 1–10 in 2004-07-12 | 0.25 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
Largemouth Bass
Pumpkinseed
From the 2004-07-12 survey
Jack the Horse Lake is a 383 acre lake located northeast of Marcell, MN. The lake has a carry-in access off of U.S. Forest Service road 2182. There had not been a lake management plan developed for the lake at the time of this assessment.In 2004, the black crappie gill-net catch rate was 1.3/net while the trap-net…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Jack the Horse Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Jack the HorseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Jack the Horse (0710)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
45 ft
Average depth
11 ft
Surface area
363 acres
Shoreline
8.3 mi
Littoral zone
67%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
66 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,345 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Jack the Horse Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Jack the Horse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Jack the Horse Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Jack the Horse Lake
- → Jack the Horse Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Jack the Horse Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Jack the Horse Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Jack the Horse Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.4 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Jack the Horse Lake
Where is Jack the Horse Lake?
- Jack the Horse Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Jack the Horse Lake?
- Jack the Horse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 363.48 acres.
Is Jack the Horse Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Jack the Horse Lake?
- Jack the Horse Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 162 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Jack the Horse Lake?
- Jack the Horse Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet and an average depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 363.48 acres.
What fish are in Jack the Horse Lake?
- Fish species found in Jack the Horse Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Jack the Horse Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Jack the Horse Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 12, 2004 caught 0.38 walleye per gill net at Jack the Horse Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Jack the Horse Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Jack the Horse Lake?
- Public access to Jack the Horse Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Jack the Horse Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
71 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA71 samples · 2021–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder