Johnson Lake

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Johnson Lake is a 56-acre lake with a maximum depth of 70 feet. It is located three miles northeast of Clearbrook in northern Clearwater County. There is a county public access on the northeast end of the lake off of county road 15. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesotas lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Johnson Lake is one of the numerous lakes in Clearwater County in lake class 28. Typically lakes in this class are small, regular shaped and are clear. Johnson Lake is managed for walleye, yellow perch and pumpkinseed sunfish. Partial fish kills have occurred in the past with the most recent one occurring in the winter of 1995-96. Because of the steep drop offs, areas less than 15 feet deep and a shallow thermocline (lower limits of fish habitat) in the summer, there appears to be limited suitable fish habitat. Although walleye had been stocked in five of the past ten years, only one was sampled in the 2002 assessment. In the last survey in 1988, walleye were very abundant. It is uncertain why abundance has dropped so dramatically. There is no indication that natural reproduction is contributing walleye to the fishery. Northern pike abundance in 2002 was also much lower than what was found in 1988. Northern pike sampled were generally small with lengths ranging from 13 to 21 inches. Five of the seven pike sampled were from 2001 year class. Yellow perch abundance was above what you would typically find in lake class 28 lakes. Perch ranged in length from 4 to 11 inches. Most perch found were small and are excellent food fish for predator fish. The current low abundance of major predator species may be resulting in increased perch abundance. Pumpkinseed sunfish was the most abundant member of the sunfish family found in Johnson Lake. Their abundance was higher than what you would typically find in other lake class 28 lakes. No pumpkinseed more than six inches was sampled.