After graduating high school in 1986, Lindemulder supplemented her income by working as a stripper. In 1987, she modeled for Penthouse magazine, making her first appearance in the December 1987 issue, as the Pet of the Month. She appeared several more times in Penthouse over the next ten years, and was chosen as Pet of the Year Runner-Up for 1990.

Janine attempted to take roles in mainstream films early in her career. Her first role came in the 1988 Italian film titled Bersaglio sull'autostrada. Known as Moving Target in English-speaking countries, Janine was credited as Janine Linde and the film also starred Linda Blair of The Exorcist fame. She went on to act in other mainstream films including Spring Break USA and Caged Fury although neither was very successful. Her appearance in Penthouse led to a role in a video released by that company titled Penthouse Satin & Lace that featured various models from the magazine. This eventually led to her debut in the adult film industry.

Lindemulder made her adult film debut in the 1992 movie Andrew Blake´s Hidden Obsessions. She was featured in two more adult movies before joining Vivid Video and becoming one of their contract girls which are collectively referred to as the Vivid Girls. Within her contract, Janine worked under a girl-only policy which meant she would only do adult work with other women and this became her trademark of sorts. Her first film with Vivid was titled Parlor Games and she would go onto being featured in over fifty other titles through her run with the company.

During her tenure with Vivid, Janine continued to branch out into other forms of entertainment. She formed half of the exotic dancing duo Blondage, along with Julia Ann. Janine received a part on the Howard Stern film Private Parts as the wife of a camp director. She also appeared on Stern's television and radio shows as a featured guest. Lindemulder was the cover model for Blink-182's album Enema of the State and appeared in their video for the song "What's My Age Again" as a nurse. She appeared in several other music videos as well.

In 1999, Janine announced she was leaving the adult film industry to pursue a career as a kindergarten teacher. She also stated her reason for leaving was to focus more on raising her child. Her retirement lasted until April 2004 when she announced that she would be making a comeback and also stated she would begin working with men as well as women. She signed with her former company, Vivid Video, and starred in eight films under their brand. Her first film scene with a male was with Nick Manning in the film Maneater. After her contract with Vivid expired, Janine signed with Digital Playground and was featured in several films from that company. In November of 2005, Lindemulder announced on her official website's forum that she was once again retiring from adult films but in January of 2006 she won two AVN Awards and subsequently returned to the adult film industry. She still works with both male and female actors and her latest film stars another well known porn star, Jenna Jameson, in Janine Loves Jenna which debuted in April of 2007.

Janine was married to a former construction worker from 1988 to 1996. In 1991, Janine had a son named Tyler. At least one source states that this son was conceived during her first marriage but others state the child was conceived from unprotected sex on the set of a film and this is why she only worked with women during the early part of her career. Following this marriage, Janine dated Headbanger's Ball host Riki Rachtman. and rock star Vince Neil. A homemade video tape of Janine, Vince, and an unidentified female was leaked and eventually released by the same company that released Pamela Anderson's sex video.

Lindemulder remarried in 2002, to West Coast Choppers founder Jesse G. James. James left her in 2003, when she was seven months pregnant, for Sandra Bullock and they later divorced. Lindemulder gave birth to a daughter, Sunny James, on January 1, 2004. Janine and Jesse's marriage was documented in the Discovery Channel special Motorcycle Madness which showed a wide range of the relationship from the marriage ceremony to Janine throwing a vase at James and getting arrested for abuse.