John Lake
Wright County, Minnesota397 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for John Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 28 ft max depth
- Public access
John Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 397.49 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 31, 2025 caught 1.22 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at John Lake. DNR survey details →
John Lake is a 397-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet (13-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, John Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
John Lake covers about 400 acres in Wright County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 13, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around John Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What John Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
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. John Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether John 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 John Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for John 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 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.3 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.3µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about John Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
John Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 39 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full John Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for John Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (6,855 cells/mL) on November 22, 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 July 31, 2025 caught 1.22 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at John Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows John Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-31 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 30.17 | 3–8 in 2016-07-18 | 0.18 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 16.68 | 4 in 2016-07-18 | 0.17 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 15.34 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 13.35 | 5–14 in 2016-07-18 | 0.69 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
Green Sunfish
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-07-31 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in John Lake, was conducted on July 31st, 2025, by Area Fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for John Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — JohnFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — John (2013)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — JohnFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — JohnPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
28 ft
Average depth
12.9 ft
Surface area
397 acres
Shoreline
5.1 mi
Littoral zone
89%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
16 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,047 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Huikko LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near John Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near John Lake in Wright 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 John Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow John Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing John 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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.36 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 8, 2024 · Latest May 2, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 13, 2018 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 25
2025
38 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
John 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: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0288-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about John Lake
Where is John Lake?
- John Lake is a lake in Wright County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of John Lake?
- John Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 397.49 acres.
Is John Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. John Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of John Lake?
- John Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 39 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is John Lake?
- John Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet and an average depth of 12.9 feet. The lake covers 397.49 acres.
What fish are in John Lake?
- Fish species found in John Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. John Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at John Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 31, 2025 caught 1.22 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at John Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows John Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does John Lake thaw?
- John Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 229 days.
Does John Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for John Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (6,855 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on John Lake?
- John Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Huikko Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at John Lake?
- John Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 John Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Wright County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near John Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare John Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
136 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
MNPCA136 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate