Minnesota · Anoka County
Ham Lake Fishing guide
Ham Lake is a 155-acre lake in Anoka County, Minnesota, reaching 22 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2016, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 10 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeFair numbers8.3per gill net21"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 27 fish
2016Lengths measured · 52 fish
2004Lengths measured · 61 fish
1999Lengths measured · 13 fish
1994BluegillJust a few17.3per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 208 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 208 fish
2016Lengths measured · 459 fish
2004Lengths measured · 411 fish
1999Lengths measured · 868 fish
1994CrappieJust a few0.9per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 19 fish
2016Lengths measured · 11 fish
2004Lengths measured · 34 fish
1999Lengths measured · 87 fish
1994No recent survey rating.
Rates 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 Ham Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 77% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- 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. With 77% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- 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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 29" | 16" | 7" |
| 2004 | 28" | 8" | 6" |
| 1999 | 25" | 20" | 9" |
| 1994 | 31" | 20" | 7" |
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:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2016 survey
Ham Lake is a 168 acre, class 38 lake located in northern Anoka County, primarily managed for Largemouth Bass with Northern Pike as a secondary management species. There is a public access located in the city park on the south side of the lake, and a 2004 survey found angling pressure to be relatively high compared to other lakes in the area at 101.5 hrs/acre. The fish community of Ham Lake reflects a typical Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Northern Pike community.
Northern Pike were sampled at a catch rate of 8.33 fish per gillnet,above average for class 38 lakes. The average sampled pike was 20.95 inches in length, and the largest pike sampled was 29 inches. Over 52% of Northern Pike sampled in this survey were longer than 21 inches, and 4% were greater than 26 inches in length.
Read the full DNR narrative
Largemouth Bass are typically not sampled effectively in gillnets and trap nets, but bass catch rate in gillnets (2.33 fish per net) was above average for abundance in class 38 lakes. Sampled bass ranged from 8 to 16 inches, with an average length of 12.71 inches.
Bluegill catch rate was 17.25 fish per trap net, above average for class 38 lakes. Sampled Bluegills ranged from under 3 inches to 8 inches in length, with an average length of 5.53 inches. Size structure was poor, 36% of sampled Bluegills were greater than 6 inches in length and 2% were greater than 7 inches. Black Crappie catch rate was 0.88 fish per trap net, below average for class 38 lakes, and Pumpkinseed Sunfish catch rate was 2.75 fish per trapnet, above average for class 38 lakes. Yellow Bullheads were sampled at 9.33 fish per gillnet, significantly above average for class 38 lakes.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ham Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ham 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
- Ham Lake (trailer launch)
- Ham Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Ham Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Coon Lake · 1,481 ac · 4.5 mi
- Club West Lake · 29 ac · 5.5 mi
- Loch Ness Lake · 10 ac · 6.7 mi
- Crooked Lake · 115 ac · 6.7 mi
- Linwood Lake · 572 ac · 8.5 mi
- George Lake · 489 ac · 8.8 mi
- Golden Lake · 58 ac · 8.9 mi
- Peltier Lake · 552 ac · 9.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ham Lake?
Ham Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 6 ft; about 77% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ham Lake?
Ham Lake covers 155 acres with about 3.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Ham Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Ham Lake average 4.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Ham Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2016) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Ham Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Ham Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Ham Lake have a public access?
Yes. Ham Lake has 2 public access sites, including Ham Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Ham Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Ham Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ham Lake in 2016, the most recent of 9 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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