Little Jessie

Little Jessie is managed for Walleye through a biennial fingerling stocking schedule in odd years. Walleye are a primary management species with a goal of maintaining catches at the high end of similar lakes capability. Northern Pike are a primary management species as well but with a more attainable goal of catches near the lake type average. Smallmouth Bass and Bluegill are secondary management species. The management plan had a goal of a Yellow Perch catch at the middle of the expected range. This was one of nine surveys conducted to assess the fish population and Walleye stocking. It appears Walleye stocking has contributed to a catch within the expected range for lakes in the same class as Little Jessie and similar to the previous survey. The ambitious management goal was not attained and likely reflects the difficulty in regularly attaining above average catches. Size structure was favorable and similar to previous surveys. The distribution of ages suggests a strong relationship with stocking. It looks as if good angling opportunities exist. The Northern Pike catch was the lowest observed though catches have typically been at the low end of the range. Low density usually corresponds to favorable size structure; however, this was not the case. About a third of the fish caught were within the north central protected slot length (22" to 26") and none exceeded 30 inches, comparable to previous surveys. Quality angling opportunities appear limited and anglers are encouraged to release larger fish. A few Smallmouth Bass have been caught in most surveys, including a notable size structure as well. The five gill net sampled fish averaged 17 inches. Anglers willing to put in time would likely be rewarded with quality size fish. Bluegill were sampled at a rate just below the expected range and considerably lower than the previous survey. Size structure was poor and comparable to previous surveys, though a few fish over eight inches have been sampled. Moderate angling opportunities exist but prospects for larger individuals is likely limited. Catches for Yellow Perch have typically been near average, except 2019, which was well below the expected range. The low density of predators suggests other factors limiting perch numbers. Fish over nine inches have occasionally been caught which suggests a slight fishery exists. Other species sampled included Bowfin, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Tullibee/Cisco, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.

Little Jessie Lake is in ecological lake class 27 and is located near Deer River, MN, in the Chippewa National Forest and Big Fork River Watershed. The lake is 637 acres and has a maximum depth of 50 feet. A survey targeting nearshore fish species was conducted by Area fisheries staff beginning on 3 July, 2019. Fourteen sampling sites (100 feet long) were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site is sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-ft or 15-ft 1/8th inch mesh seine, depending on habitat condition. Shoreline seining was conducted at 12 sites: 9 with the 15-ft seine and 3 with the 50-ft seine. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sites. Nearshore sampling captured 10 different species: 8 species by seining and 9 species by backpack electrofishing. The species can be found in the gear-specific catch tables in this report. Nearshore catches will be used with the gill net and trap net data from the standard survey conducted on 29 July, 2019, to calculate a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score which is indicative of lake health. The surveys will assist the watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Little Jessie Lake is a 637-acre lake located 5 miles southwest of Talmoon, MN. The lake has a maximum depth of 50 ft and is moderately developed. Primary fish species include walleye, northern pike and panfish. The walleye gill net catch rate was 5.7/net and was similar to the long-term average of 5.3/net for Little Jessie Lake. Catch rates in past assessments have varied from 0.6 to 10.8/gill net. The catch rate in 2010 declined from the previous two assessments which had especially high catch rates of 8.8 and 10.8/net. Although the current catch rate has declined, it is still within the normal range of values for Little Jessie Lake. Walleye growth was similar to the statewide average with fish averaging 17.7 inches at age 5. Size structure was moderate with several year classes present including one fish which was 19 years old. Walleye fingerlings are currently stocked at twice the normal rate in even years. The results of this assessment indicate that stocked year classes were more abundant than nonstocked years. The northern pike gill net catch rate was 2.3/net and was lower than the expected range for similar lakes and lower than the long-term average of 5.1/net for Little Jessie Lake. Lower catch rates for northern pike are good because higher catch rates generally lead to poor size structure. However, size structure was poor with few fish larger than 24 inches sampled. It is unclear why size structure declined because Little Jessie has a history of larger northern pike. Trap nets did sample one fish that was 40 inches indicating the lake is still capable of producing large fish. Six year classes were determined from scale analysis and year classes were roughly similar indicating consistent recruitment. Growth was slightly faster than the statewide average with fish averaging 24.9 inches by age 5. The bluegill catch rate was 49.0/trap net and was towards the upper end of the expected range. Catch rates were historically low, not exceeding 2.0/trap net in the first 4 assessments. Catch rates have since increased from 2.7/net in 1996 to the all-time high of 49.0/net in 2010. High catch rates are a concern, because size structure generally declines as catch rates increase. Size structure was poor with few fish exceeding 8 inches. Growth was slower than the lake class average with fish averaging 6.0 inches at age 6. The combination of high catch rates and slow growth rates result in poor size structure. Yellow perch gill net catch was 17.3/net and was within the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments have been highly variable from 12.0 to 86.1/gill net. Size structure was poor with few fish larger than 9 inches sampled. Growth was slower than the statewide average with fish averaging 8.2 inches at age 7. Yellow perch are more important as prey than a species of interest to anglers. Little Jessie still supports an abundant tullibee population with a catch rate of 6.0/gill net, towards the upper end of the expected range. Tullibee were generally small, around 8 to 9 inches, however a few larger fish up to 15 inches were sampled. Tullibee are an important prey species for walleye and northern pike. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and black crappie were sampled in low numbers. Smallmouth bass varied in length from 5 to 16 inches. Largemouth bass were more abundant with similar size structure. Few black crappie were sampled with fish up to 12 inches. Other species sampled in gill nets and trap nets include black and yellow bullhead, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass and white sucker. Lakeshore owners may affect fish populations not only through harvesting fish, but also through land use practices. It is important to leave a 30 to 50 ft buffer strip of native vegetation along the shoreline to prevent erosion and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Nonfunctioning septic systems can also lead to water quality problems. Good water quality and fish populations are the direct result of good land use practices. Anglers can also help to improve the size structure of the fish community by harvesting fewer smaller fish and releasing medium and larger fish.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Rock Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, Northern Pike, and Smallmouth Bass in Little Jessie. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Little Jessie. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Little Jessie has a maximum depth of 50 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Little Jessie is from 2019.

No invasive species are on record for Little Jessie in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.