Johnson Lake
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota2,730 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Johnson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Johnson Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 2729.83 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 16, 2022 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Johnson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–12 inches. DNR survey details →
Johnson Lake is a 2,730-acre lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-08-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Johnson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Big water2,730 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Johnson 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 Johnson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Johnson Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 96 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 30.2 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 96µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 30.2µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 68 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Johnson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 16, 2022 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Johnson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–12 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Johnson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
23 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-09-11 (Targeted Survey).
23 surveys on file · most recent 2024-09-11 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 43.07 | 4–12 in 2024-09-11 | 0.96 lb |
| Bluegill | 26.19 | 7 in 2022-05-16 | 0.39 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 20.43 | 4–13 in 2021-07-19 | 0.58 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 11.12 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 8.91 | 4–12 in 2021-07-19 | 0.32 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.
Walleye
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-09-11 survey
A targeted fall night electrofishing survey of young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye was conducted on Big Kandiyohi Lake during September 11, 2024. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e., spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Johnson Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Big KandiyohiFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Big KandiyohiFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big KandiyohiPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
2,730 acres
Shoreline
14.3 mi
Littoral zone
53%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
109 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,096 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Kandiyohi County Park No. 1 (West)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Johnson Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Johnson Lake in Kandiyohi 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 Johnson Lake
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Follow Johnson Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Johnson Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Mar 28, 2007 · Latest May 2, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Apr 29
2018
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Kandiyohi County
Frequently asked questions about Johnson Lake
Where is Johnson Lake?
- Johnson Lake is a lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Johnson Lake?
- Johnson Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 30.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 2729.83 acres.
Is Johnson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Johnson Lake?
- Johnson Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 2729.83 acres.
What fish are in Johnson Lake?
- Fish species found in Johnson Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Johnson Lake is located in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Johnson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 16, 2022 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Johnson Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–12 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Johnson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Johnson Lake thaw?
- Johnson Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25.
Are there boat ramps on Johnson Lake?
- Johnson Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kandiyohi County Park No. 1 (West). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Johnson Lake?
- Johnson 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.
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2022 - Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Monitoring
MNDA_PESTICIDE1 sample · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate