Heron Lake is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 698 at the 2010 census. Heron Lake was named in 1…Heron Lake is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 698 at the 2010 census. Heron Lake was named in 1870 after a local lake where great blue herons were seen. Heron Lake was named after the Black-Crowned Night Heron.