Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 10, 2025
Species recorded at Jessie Lake
17 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Jessie Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
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
Common questions
What fish are in Jessie Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2025 caught 3.53 walleye per gill net at Jessie Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 17 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Jessie Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Jessie Lake is dated June 10, 2025. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Jessie Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Jessie Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Jessie Lake fishes?
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.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Jessie Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Jessie Lake
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