Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 30, 2025
Species recorded at Pearl Lake
14 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Pearl Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Getting on the water
1 public boat landing is recorded on Pearl Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 2025 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Pearl Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pearl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-30 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-30 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 192.24 | 8–13 in 2025-06-30 | 0.33 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.47 | 6–10 in 2025-06-30 | 0.25 lb |
| Black Crappie | 8.69 | 4–12 in 2025-06-30 | 0.35 lb |
| Walleye | 8.06 | 10–25 in 2025-06-30 | 1.29 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 5.04 | 11–29 in 2025-06-30 | 3.46 lb |
| Common Carp | 4.11 | 16–32 in 2025-06-30 | 3.67 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.
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
Common questions
What fish are in Pearl Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 2025 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Pearl Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 14 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Pearl Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Pearl Lake is dated June 30, 2025. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Pearl Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Pearl Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Pearl Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pearl Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Pearl Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Pearl Lake
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