Minnesota · Martin County
Hall Lake Fishing guide
Hall Lake sits in Martin County, Minnesota, and covers 548 acres, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 2.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers3.3per gill net17"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 15 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 5 fish
2023Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2022Lengths measured · 23 fish
2018Lengths measured · 15 fish
2011Present and managed by the DNR.
BluegillJust a few2.3per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 23 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 23 fish
2022Lengths measured · 53 fish
2018Lengths measured · 39 fish
2011Lengths measured · 20 fish
2005CrappieJust a few1.5per trap net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 18 fish
2022Lengths measured · 103 fish
2018Lengths measured · 217 fish
2011Lengths measured · 178 fish
2005Yellow perchGood numbers10.7per gill net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 32 fish
2022Lengths measured · 44 fish
2018Lengths measured · 140 fish
2011Lengths measured · 11 fish
2005Channel catfishOne of the best around2.1per trap net22"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 48 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 48 fish
2022Lengths measured · 38 fish
2018Lengths measured · 85 fish
2011Lengths measured · 32 fish
2005Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Hall Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.5 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 2.5 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8" | — | — |
| 2022 | 26" | 20" | 28" |
| 2018 | 28" | — | 30" |
| 2011 | 28" | — | 28" |
| 2005 | 28" | — | — |
| 2001 | 29" | 4" | 31" |
| 1997 | 29" | 18" | 32" |
| 1993 | 29" | 14" | 27" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Skirted Casting Jig + Craw Trailer
3.5–4" craw-style trailer on a skirted casting/flipping jig
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 138,500 fry |
| 2024 | Muskellunge | 148 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 138,500 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 138,500 fry |
| 2022 | Muskellunge | 148 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 138,500 fry |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | 148 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 138,500 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 138,500 fry · 3,865 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Muskellunge | 148 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 571 fingerlings · 528 yearlings |
| 2016 | Muskellunge | 148 fingerlings |
Stocking records before 2016 omitted.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Walleye have been managed for many years in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. Past stockings have included Walleye fry, fingerling, yearlings, and adults. Essentially, whatever life stage of Walleye was available they would be stocked into the lakes. However, since 2019 the Fairmont chain-of-lakes has been stocked with Walleye fry from the Lake Sarah egg take operation. Other southwest Minnesota lakes saw good success when Walleye fry were stocked in the spring of 2023. Therefore, daytime electrofishing was conducted in September to determine if Walleye fry stocking was successful on Sisseton Lake, Budd Lake, and Hall Lake. One 15 minute station was done on each lake.
Twenty-seven age-0 Walleye were captured on Sisseton (N=16), Hall (N=5), and Budd (N=6) Lakes. Catch rates varied from lake-to-lake; 57.6 per hour on Sisseton Lake, 22.9 per hour on Budd Lake, and 20.0 per hour on Hall Lake. However, the overall catch rate for the chain-of-lakes after 45 minutes of electrofishing was 36.0 per hour. It has been determined from previous Minnesota age-0 Walleye electrofishing that a fall electrofishing catch rate over 30 per hour has a good chance of resulting in a fishable year-class of Walleye for anglers 2 or 3 years later. Additionally, the average length of Walleye was 8.1 inches in Sisseton Lake, 8.2 inches in Budd Lake, and 7.9 inches in Hall Lake. When Walleye reach lengths exceeding 6 inches in their first year of growth, there is a good chance that they will survive the winter and avoid predation. A gill net and trap net survey was conducted on Sisseton Lake in August 2023 and age-0 Walleye were very abundant. In fact 10 out of 14 Walleye caught in gill nets from the newly stocked 2023 year class. All that to state, there is a decent chance that the 2023 Walleye year-class on the Fairmont chain-of-lakes could result in a respectable population for anglers.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Hall Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Hall Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Hall Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Hall Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Amber Lake · 182 ac · 1.1 mi
- Budd Lake · 228 ac · 1.2 mi
- Sisseton Lake · 138 ac · 2 mi
- George Lake · 83 ac · 2.7 mi
- Willmert (main bay) Lake · 335 ac · 4.3 mi
- Imogene Lake · 186 ac · 5.4 mi
- Bright Lake · 639 ac · 6.9 mi
- South Silver Lake · 252 ac · 7.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Hall Lake?
Hall Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point; about 51% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Hall Lake?
Hall Lake covers 548 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Hall Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Hall Lake average 2.5 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Hall Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Hall Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Hall Lake have a public access?
Yes. Hall Lake has one public access site: Hall Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Hall Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Hall Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Hall Lake in 2023, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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