Fishing in Jackson County, Minnesota
Seat: Jackson. Southern region.
- 13lakes
- 25accesses
- 5piers
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Key facts on Jackson County
With Jackson as its seat, Jackson County belongs to the Southern region. Within the county lie 703 square miles of land and 16.3 of lakes and rivers.
The county holds 13 lake pages covering 7,150 acres; Heron Lake (South Heron) is the largest. The DNR access layer shows 25 public water accesses in the county, 21 of them trailer launches. Catch tables cover 13 lakes, with walleye in 10. Fishing from shore: 5 DNR piers and sites.
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Minnesota DNR access and fishing site layers and LakeFinder, checked October 2026.
Lake list for Jackson County
| Lake | Acres | Max depth ft | Accesses | Walleye per gill net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heron Lake (South Heron) | 2,641 | 5 | 3 | 13.33 |
| Round Lake, Jackson County | 930 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
| Loon Lake, Jackson County | 708 | 8 | 2 | 21.33 |
| Little Spirit Lake | 624 | 8 | 1 | 5.67 |
| Flahtery Lake | 457 | 6.2 | 1 | 34 |
| Clear Lake, Jackson County | 434 | 9 | 2 | 1.67 |
| String Lake | 336 | 3.8 | 1 | |
| Fish Lake, Jackson County | 297 | 26 | 3 | 3.33 |
| Rush Lake, Jackson County | 243 | 3 | 0 | |
| Timber Lake, Jackson County | 191 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Pearl Lake, Jackson County | 117 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| Independence Lake | 99 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| Chandler Lake | 71 | 8 | 0 |
DNR LakeFinder morphology, access layer and latest survey per lake.
Lesser lakes of Jackson County
Jackson County has 9 additional DNR waters, listed here with what the DNR publishes.
| Water | Acres | Max depth ft | DNR number | Accesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boot Lake, Jackson County | 32001500 | 1 | ||
| Heron (North Marsh) | 32005701 | 0 | ||
| Heron Lake | 32005700 | 0 | ||
| Heron Lake (Duck) | 32005702 | 0 | ||
| Heron Lake (North Heron) | 32005705 | 0 | ||
| Lower's Lake | 32001600 | 0 | ||
| North Lower's Lake | 32001601 | 1 | ||
| Skunk Lake, Jackson County | 32005900 | 1 | ||
| South Lower's Lake | 32001602 | 0 |
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, checked October 2026.
Jackson County river pages
- Des Moines Riverriver, 10 accesses
- Little Sioux Riverriver
USGS sites in Jackson County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines River At Jackson, Mn | 191 cfs, 7.73 ft gage height | Nov 13 9:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 9:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Boat landings across Jackson County
- Boot Lake Access near LakefieldBoot, 1 ramp, 3 trailer stalls
- Clear Lake (N) Access near JacksonClear, 1 ramp, 10 trailer stalls, 1 dock, toilet
- Clear Lake (S) Access near JacksonClear, 1 ramp, 12 trailer stalls, 1 dock
- Des Moines River, Ashley Park AccessDes Moines River, carry-in access
- Des Moines River, Belmon AccessDes Moines River, 1 ramp, 4 trailer stalls, toilet
- Des Moines River, Chris AccessDes Moines River, 1 ramp
- Des Moines River, Petersburg AccessDes Moines River, 1 ramp, 4 trailer stalls
- Fish Lake (S) Access near WindomFish, 1 ramp, 15 trailer stalls, 1 dock, toilet
- Fish Lake (SE) AccessFish (Main Lake), carry-in access
- Flahtery Lake Public Water Access AccessFlahtery, 1 ramp, 4 trailer stalls, 1 dock
- Independence Lake AccessIndependence, 1 ramp, 10 trailer stalls
- Laur's Lake (W) AccessNorth Lower's, carry-in access, 2 trailer stalls
- Little Spirit Lake AccessLittle Spirit, 1 ramp, 16 trailer stalls, 1 dock
- Loon Lake (E) AccessLoon, 1 ramp, 6 trailer stalls, 1 dock
- Loon Lake Access near JacksonLoon, 1 ramp, 8 trailer stalls, 1 dock
- North Heron Lake, Jack Creek Access, 1 ramp, 8 trailer stalls
- Pearl Lake (W) AccessPearl, 1 ramp, 5 trailer stalls
- Round Lake (E) Access near Round LakeRound, 2 ramps, 23 trailer stalls, 1 dock, toilet
- Round Lake (S) AccessRound, 1 ramp, 5 trailer stalls, 1 dock
- Skunk Lake AccessSkunk, 1 ramp, 6 trailer stalls
- South Heron Lake (E) AccessHeron (South Heron), 1 ramp, 6 trailer stalls
- South Heron Lake (NW) AccessHeron (South Heron), carry-in access
- South Heron Lake (W) AccessHeron (South Heron), 1 ramp, toilet
- String Lake AccessString, 1 ramp
- Timber Lake AccessTimber, 1 ramp, 15 trailer stalls, 1 dock
DNR fishing piers across Jackson County (5)
- Fish Lake Fishing Pier, Fish Lake (S) Public Water Access Sitefishing pier, Fish
- Loon Lake Fishing Pier, Jackson County 1fishing pier, Clear
- Loon Lake Fishing Pier, Jackson County 2fishing pier, Loon
- Loon Lake Fishing Pier, Jackson County 3fishing pier, Loon
- Pearl Lake Fishing Pierfishing pier, Pearl
Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites and Public Fishing Sites.
Jackson County stocking rows and record fish
Heaviest fish from Jackson County
| Species | Weight | Water |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Bass | 1 lb 3 oz | Clear Lake |
DNR area fisheries stocking pages and state records; area pages list mostly 2015 to 2017 reports and standing plans.
Where Jackson County anglers buy minnows
- Hanson's Gun Repair & Baitbait and tackle shop, Windom, 18 miles
- Runningsfarm and general store with fishing supplies, Windom, 19 miles
- Darryl's Motorsportssporting goods store, Ormsby, 21 miles
- Sommer Outdoorssporting goods store, Fairmont, 26 miles
- Runningsfarm and general store with fishing supplies, Worthington, 30 miles
Statewide rows for Jackson County
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye and sauger | 6 combined total (only 1 walleye over 20" in possession) | May 9, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Northern pike (Southern Zone) | 2 (minimum size 24") | May 9, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Northern pike (Southern Zone) | 2 (minimum size 24") | Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 except where prohibited |
| Largemouth bass | Catch-and-release only | March 1 – May 22, 2026 |
| Largemouth bass | 6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth bass (when smallmouth season is open) | May 23, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Smallmouth bass | Catch-and-release only | March 1 – May 22, 2026 |
| Smallmouth bass | 6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth bass | May 23 – Sept. 13, 2026 |
| Smallmouth bass | Catch-and-release only | Sept. 14, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Crappie | 10 combined total | Continuous |
| Sunfish | 20 combined total | Continuous |
| Yellow perch | 20 daily, 40 in possession | Continuous |
| Muskellunge | 1 (minimum size 54") | June 6 – Nov. 30, 2026 |
| Channel catfish | 5 (only 1 over 24") | Continuous |
| Rock bass | 30 | Continuous |
| Cisco (tullibee) | 15 (over 7") | Continuous |
| Burbot (eelpout) | 4 | Continuous |
Map position of Jackson: Southern Zone.
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations; lake pages show any special regulation.
In the neighborhood of Jackson County
Jackson County towns
- Jacksonpop. 3,323
- Lakefieldpop. 1,735
- Heron Lakepop. 602
- Okabenapop. 203
- Alphapop. 97
- Wilderpop. 62
Over the line from Jackson County
- Cottonwood County24 miles north
- Martin County30 miles east
- Nobles County31 miles west
- Watonwan County34 miles northeast
Pictures of water close to Jackson County
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
Jackson County angling, asked by readers
How many boat landings does Jackson County have?
The county has 25 public accesses (21 for trailers).
Which lake tops the list in Jackson County?
Heron Lake (South Heron), 2,641 acres.
Where is trout water in Jackson County?
No; check neighboring counties.
Which pike zone is Jackson County in?
Jackson falls in the Southern Zone, so those rows apply.
Which stores sell fishing gear in Jackson County?
Our list has no shop in the county.
Which outfitters operate in Jackson County?
None list the county.
Are walleye found in Jackson County lakes?
13 lakes carry DNR catch tables, 10 with walleye.
Which city is the county seat of Jackson County?
County offices sit in Jackson.
Which Minnesota license covers Jackson County?
Minnesota residents 16 to 89 need an angling license ($25 for the year); nonresidents 16 and older pay $51.