Jessie Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota1,740 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Jessie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- zebra mussel
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
Jessie Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 1740.06 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Jessie Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–9 inches. DNR survey details →
Jessie Lake is a 1,740-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Jessie Lake ranks #53 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Jessie Lake covers about 1,700 acres in Itasca County. The median ice-out date is April 25, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Jessie Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Jessie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Deep water42 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,740 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Jessie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.5 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 52 | 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.
Water Temperature
Jessie Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 225 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Jessie Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Jessie Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (29,648 cells/mL) on November 15, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Jessie Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–9 inches.
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 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
24 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-09 (Targeted Survey).
24 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-09 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 37.52 | 4–10 in 2024-08-19 | 0.16 lb |
| Walleye | 17.50 | 4–9 in 2025-09-09 | 1.49 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 6.00 | 14–16 in 2024-08-19 | 0.99 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 4.58 | 3–14 in 2018-08-20 | 1.67 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
Walleye
Tullibee (Cisco)
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-09-09 survey
Jessie Lake is a class 27 lake about two miles west of Talmoon, MN, in the Big Fork River watershed. In fall 2025, biologists used nighttime electrofishing to collect young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye as part of a statewide study comparing lakes with and without Zebra Mussels. Various management strategies have been…
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 — JessieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Jessie (0670)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — JessieFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — JessiePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
42 ft
Surface area
1,740 acres
Shoreline
9.7 mi
Littoral zone
26%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
34 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,316 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Jessie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Jessie 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 Jessie Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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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 Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.64 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.23 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Mar 29, 2012 · Latest May 19, 1950
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 12, 1995 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 27
2025
120 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Jessie Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0786-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Jessie Lake
Where is Jessie Lake?
- Jessie 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 Jessie Lake?
- Jessie Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 1740.06 acres.
Is Jessie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Jessie Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Jessie Lake?
- Jessie Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 225 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Jessie Lake?
- Jessie Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 1740.06 acres.
What fish are in Jessie Lake?
- Fish species found in Jessie Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Jessie Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Jessie Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Jessie Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–9 inches. 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 6 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 25. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 214 days.
Does Jessie Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Jessie Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (29,648 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
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
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Where this data comes from
161 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA161 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate