The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Jessie Lake near Talmoon, Turtle Lake near Marcell and Trout Lake near Coleraine, all in Itasca County.

A resort owner on Jessie Lake contacted the DNR after finding zebra mussels on a pontoon boat being removed for the season. Jessie Lake is upstream of and connected to other waters where zebra mussels were previously confirmed.

Itasca County Soil and Water Conservation District staff contacted the DNR after finding juvenile zebra mussels on equipment in Turtle Lake during an end-of-season inspection. Turtle Lake flows into the Bigfork River, where zebra mussels were previously confirmed.

Itasca County Soil and Water Conservation District staff contacted the DNR after finding juvenile zebra mussels on equipment in Trout Lake during an end-of-season inspection. Trout Lake is near Pokegama Lake, where zebra mussels were previously confirmed.

“Zebra mussels are sometimes first discovered in lakes when lake property owners or lake service provider businesses remove boats, docks and equipment from the water at the end of the season,” DNR Invasive Species Unit Supervisor Kelly Pennington said.