Minnesota · Itasca County
Hartley Lake Fishing guide
Hartley Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 288 acres, reaching 49 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 9.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers8per gill net23"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 53 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 53 fish
2025Lengths measured · 85 fish
2019Lengths measured · 41 fish
2015Lengths measured · 38 fish
2011BluegillJust a few10.4per trap net4"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 97 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 97 fish
2025Lengths measured · 164 fish
2019Lengths measured · 135 fish
2011Lengths measured · 671 fish
2003CrappieJust a few2.2per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 31 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 31 fish
2025Lengths measured · 77 fish
2019Lengths measured · 2 fish
2015Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 55 fish
2011Yellow perchGood numbers5.2per gill net5"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 32 fish
2025Lengths measured · 3 fish
2019Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2015Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 76 fish
2011Rates 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 Hartley 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. On a lake that drops to 49 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 49 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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 | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38" | 24" | 16" |
| 2019 | 34" | 25" | 15" |
| 2015 | 34" | 18" | 17" |
| 2011 | 34" | — | 19" |
| 2003 | 28" | 26" | 19" |
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
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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 2025 survey
Hartley Lake is an ecological class 23 lake located 15 miles northwest of Nashwauk, MN, in the Mississippi River Watershed. The lake is 281 acres and has a maximum depth of 49 feet. The nearshore fish species sampling began on 17 June 2025. Area Fisheries staff conducted a standard survey setting 6 gill nets and 9 trap nets on 30 June 2025. The nearshore catches will be used with the data from the standard survey to calculate a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score which is indicative of lake health. The surveys will assist the watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Nearshore sampling included 10 sites (100 feet long) evenly spaced around the lake, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site is sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-ft or 50-ft 1/8th inch mesh seine, depending on habitat condition. Shoreline seining was conducted at 8 sites using the 15-ft seine and 11 sites with the 50-ft seine. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sites. Nearshore sampling captured 20 different species: 14 species by seining and 15 species by backpack electrofishing. Nearshore sampling captured all but two species observed in the gill nets and trap nets (Tullibee and Walleye). The species can be found in the gear-specific catch tables in this report.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Hartley Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Hartley 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
- Hartley Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Hartley Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Scooty Lake · 167 ac · 1.6 mi
- Wolf Lake · 197 ac · 2.3 mi
- Round Lake · 460 ac · 3.8 mi
- King Lake · 311 ac · 4.3 mi
- Lower Balsam Lake · 259 ac · 4.4 mi
- Long (Main Bay) Lake · 346 ac · 4.6 mi
- Wasson Lake · 438 ac · 5.1 mi
- White Swan Lake · 165 ac · 5.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Hartley Lake?
Hartley Lake reaches 49 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 21 ft; about 34% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Hartley Lake?
Hartley Lake covers 288 acres with about 4.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Hartley Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Hartley Lake average 9.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Hartley Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Hartley Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Hartley Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Hartley Lake have a public access?
Yes. Hartley Lake has one public access site: Hartley Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Hartley Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 38"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was Hartley Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Hartley Lake in 2025, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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