Jessie Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota3,598 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Jessie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- zebra mussel
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Jessie Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 3597.95 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2025 caught 3.53 walleye per gill net at Jessie Lake. DNR survey details →
Jessie Lake is a 3,598-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 35 feet (14-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Jessie Lake ranks #23 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Jessie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
- Deep water35 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water3,598 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Jessie 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 Jessie Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Jessie Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.6 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.6µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Jessie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2025 caught 3.53 walleye per gill net at Jessie Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Jessie 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
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-10 (Standard Survey).
17 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 54.54 | 4–10 in 2025-06-10 | 0.2 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 31.10 | ||
| Muskellunge | 24.43 | 30 in 2024-07-11 | 10.42 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.
Yellow Perch
Muskellunge
From the 2025-06-10 survey
Big Lake is a 3,596 acre lake with a maximum depth of 35 feet located 13 miles east of Bemidji in Beltrami County. The Big Lake boat launch is located on the east shore and can be accessed from Mission Road. A total of 53 Walleye were captured in the 2025 survey, and they ranged in length from 10.5 inches to 22 inches…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Jessie Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BigFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Big (1734)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BigFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BigPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
35 ft
Average depth
14.1 ft
Surface area
3,598 acres
Shoreline
16.6 mi
Littoral zone
59%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Jessie Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Jessie Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Mar 17, 2024 · Latest May 12, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 28
2025
24 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Jessie Lake
Where is Jessie Lake?
- Jessie Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Jessie Lake?
- Jessie Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 3597.95 acres.
Is Jessie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Jessie Lake?
- Jessie Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet and an average depth of 14.1 feet. The lake covers 3597.95 acres.
What fish are in Jessie Lake?
- Fish species found in Jessie Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Jessie Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Jessie Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2025 caught 3.53 walleye per gill net at Jessie Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Jessie 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.
When does Jessie Lake thaw?
- Jessie Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 217 days.
Can I fish at Jessie Lake?
- Public access to Jessie Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Jessie Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Beltrami County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Compare Jessie Lake With Nearby Lakes
Beltrami County · 9.7 ft
Beltrami County · 9.3 ft
Beltrami County · 20.7 ft
Beltrami County · 15.1 ft
Beltrami County · 20 ft
Beltrami County · 8.5 ft
Where this data comes from
71 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX71 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate