Pearl Lake
Pearl Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 153 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 102.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 117 acres.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Typical in August
- 79°F
- Max depth
- 6 ft
- Area
- 117 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Pearl Lake →
Next lake in Jackson County
Pearl Lake is a 117-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Jackson County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 6 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Pearl Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 153 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 102.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 77.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 153 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 102.2 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 77 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Pearl Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pearl Lake in Jackson 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Pearl Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Pearl Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Pearl Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 31 field readings (2017–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pearl Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 6 ft |
| Surface Area | 117 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 100% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pearl Lake (West)Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pearl 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-30 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 192.24 | 0.33 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.47 | 0.25 lb |
| Black Crappie | 8.69 | 0.35 lb |
| Walleye | 8.06 | 1.29 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 5.04 | 3.46 lb |
| Common Carp | 4.11 | 3.67 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Walleye
From the 2025-06-30 survey
Pearl Lake is a 117-acre, class 43 lake located in Jackson County approximately 9 miles southwest of the City of Jackson, near the Iowa-Minnesota border. Pearl Lake is shallow with an average depth of 4.0 ft. and a maximum depth of 6.0 ft. Pearl Lake is managed primarily for Black Crappie and secondarily for Northern…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pearl Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PearlFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PearlFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PearlPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.057 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +37.2 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -10.75 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Pearl Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN32-0020-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.7 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 6 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Pearl Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Pearl Lake
What is the water quality grade for Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 153 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 102.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6 ft. Surface area: 117 acres.
Is Pearl Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Pearl Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 102.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August, from 31 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake has a maximum depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 117 acres.
What fish are in Pearl Lake?
- Fish species found in Pearl Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, northern pike, shortnose gar, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pearl Lake is located in Jackson County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Pearl Lake?
- Pearl Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pearl Lake (West). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Pearl Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA30 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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