Janette Lake

How big is Janette Lake?

How deep is Janette Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Janette Lake?

Are there boat launches on Janette Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Janette Lake?

Janette Lake is located about 9 miles northeast of Goodland, MN. Janette Lake is 137 acres and has a maximum depth of 23 feet. The lake has soft water and moderate fertility, which limits fish production. Water clarity is limited because the lake is bog stained.

Fisheries management has primarily consisted of occasional surveys and Walleye stocking. The Lake Management Plan (LMP) was last revised in 2014. Walleye and Black Crappie were the primary management species due to their popularity with anglers and Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass were secondary species because they are naturally well suited for the lake. Goals of the LMP were to increase the Walleye gill net catch to 4.0/net by fingerling stocking. A standard survey was conducted in August of 2019 to evaluate the effectiveness of Walleye stocking and to determine the status of the fishery. This survey consisted of 6 gill nets and 9 trap nets.

Northern Pike were the most common fish in the gill nets. The catch was typical for Janette Lake and within the expected range for lakes with similar habitats. The two previous surveys resulted in higher pike catches. The reduced catch rate is desirable because high numbers of pike often result in poor size quality and can negatively impact management of other species. Past surveys suggest poor size quality, with few fish exceeding 28 inches. The 2019 survey also documented poor size quality, as pike ranged from 14 to 21 inches and averaged only 18 inches. Poor size quality may limit the popularity of the pike fishery. Only three year classes were observed (ages 2-4), suggesting inconsistent survival of young pike or high adult mortality, which is often caused by human harvest. Growth was average, as fish grew to over 19 inches in 4 years.

Walleye have typically occurred in low numbers in Janette Lake, but were the second most common fish in the gill nets in 2019. The gill net catch was within the typical range for similar lakes and above average for Janette Lake. Walleye size distribution was favorable, as fish ranged from 12.4 to 21.9 inches and averaged 16.7 inches. Eight year classes were observed, with fish up to 11 years old. Most fish were associated with stocked year classes, indicating poor natural reproduction. Growth was near the statewide average, as fish exceeded 14 inches by age 4. Janette Lake is expected to continue to produce a modest Walleye fishery through stocking, but the population is unlikely to increase. Conditions are relatively poor for Walleye due to a lack of Yellow Perch, modest fertility, and small lake size.

Black Crappies have been present in moderate numbers in most assessments, but were lower than expected in 2019. Inconsistent year class production is a common trait in crappie populations resulting in boom and bust angling cycles. Too few crappie were captured to characterize size quality.

The Bluegill catch was relatively low but within the expected range for the lake class. The previous survey described a population with a high quality size structure. Size structure remained favorable in 2019, as 35% of the sampled fish exceeded 8 inches. Lengths ranged from 2.6 to 9.1 inches with an average length of 7.0 inches. Anglers can help maintain size quality by releasing sunfish over 8 inches.

Other species sampled included Brown Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.

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Are there any state parks near Janette Lake?