Little Jay Gould Lake
Little Jay Gould Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 21.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 149.97 acres.
- Clarity
- 21.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 58°F
- Max depth
- 56 ft
- Area
- 150 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Itasca County
Little Jay Gould Lake is a 150-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 56 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 5 public boat landings. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Little Jay Gould Lake ranks #45 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 21.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 21.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 21.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Little Jay Gould Lake
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Water Temperature
Little Jay Gould Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 61°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 127 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Jay Gould Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 56 ft |
| Surface Area | 150 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 52% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Jay Gould LakePublic
- Pokegama Lake #2Public
- Blandin LakePublic
- Izaak Walton ParkPublic
- Tioga Mine Pit LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Jay Gould 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-06 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 11.79 | 1.23 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.06 | 0.87 lb |
| Bluegill | 7.11 | 0.19 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.25 | 1.41 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.46 | 0.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.08 | 0.13 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
From the 2025-08-06 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Little Jay Gould Lake on August 6th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Jay Gould Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little Jay GouldFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Jay Gould (0597)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little Jay GouldFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little Jay GouldPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.027 m/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Little Jay Gould Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0565-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.36 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #45 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Jay Gould Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Jay Gould Lake?
- Little Jay Gould Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 21.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 149.97 acres.
Is Little Jay Gould Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Little Jay Gould Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Jay Gould Lake?
- Little Jay Gould Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in August, from 127 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Jay Gould Lake?
- Little Jay Gould Lake has a maximum depth of 56 feet. The lake covers 149.97 acres.
What fish are in Little Jay Gould Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Jay Gould Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Jay Gould Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Little Jay Gould Lake?
- Little Jay Gould Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Jay Gould Lake, Pokegama Lake #2, Blandin Lake, Izaak Walton Park, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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