Minnesota · Itasca County
Hatch Lake Fishing guide
Hatch Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 226 acres, reaching 88 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 16.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2013, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 13 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Smallmouth bassElite fishery54.2per hr (electrofishing)16"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 64 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 64 fish
2013Lengths measured · 109 fish
2000Northern pikeJust a few3.5per gill net20"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 27 fish
2013Lengths measured · 30 fish
2000BluegillJust a few3.4per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 32 fish
2013Lengths measured · 156 fish
2000Rock bassGood numbers1per trap net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 11 fish
2013Lengths measured · 47 fish
2000Rates 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 Hatch Lake through the year
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. At 16.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. On a lake that drops to 88 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 16.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 88 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 | Smallmouth bass | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 19" | 27" | 9" |
| 2000 | 18" | 21" | 14" |
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:
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Smallmouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Tail Spinner
Compact lead body with a free-spinning blade on the tail
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 2013 survey
Hatch Lake is a 243-acre lake located 5 miles northwest of Marcell, MN in the Big Fork River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 88 feet and 49 littoral acres. Hatch Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 23. These are relatively deep, medium-sized lakes with clear water. Other area lakes in Class 23 include Big Too Much, LaCroix and Ruby Lakes. The lake management plan lists Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike as the primary management species.
Spring night electrofishing was used to sample Smallmouth Bass since this method is often more effective than standard test netting. The 2013 catch rate was 54.2 fish/hour of on-time. This is a relatively high catch rate indicating a strong bass population. Similar sampling in 2000 yielded a catch rate of 51.5/hour. Size structure was good; electrofished Smallmouth Bass in 2013 ranged from 5.6 to 19.6 inches with a mean length of 14.9 inches. Recruitment appeared consistent with fish up to age 18 estimated from scales and otoliths. Growth was average with fish reaching 15.3 inches at age 6.
Read the full DNR narrative
The gill-net catch rate for Northern Pike was 3.5/net. This catch is within the lake class expected range but lower than other recent assessments. Size structure was moderate, with a few fish over 28 inches in the sample. Northern Pike ranged from 17.5 to 38.2 inches with a mean length of 23.1 inches. Ages 2 through 8 and 12 were represented in the sample. Growth appeared similar to the statewide average, with fish reaching 26.3 inches at age 6.
Tullibee were the most abundant species in the gill nets, sampled at 22.0/net. This catch is above the lake class expected range and higher than any previous survey. Sampled Tullibee ranged from 7.7 to 17.7 inches, with a mean length of 12.5 inches. Tullibee are an important prey species for larger gamefish like Northern Pike.
The gill-net catch for Lake Whitefish was within the expected range 1.8/net. This is similar to the catch rate in the 2000 assessment and the historical average for the lake (1.7). Sampled fish ranged from 15.2 to 22.8 inches with a mean length of 19.2 inches.
Bluegill were the most numerous fish in the trap nets with a catch rate of 3.4/net. This is below the lake class average and considerably lower than the 2000 catch rate of 17.1/trap net. Size structure was poor; sampled fish ranged from 3.0 to 8.3 inches with a mean length of 5.0 inches. Age structure showed a high proportion of young fish, with a dominant 2010 (age 3) year class. Growth was similar to the lake class average with Bluegill reaching 6.4 inches at age 6.
Other species sampled in test nets included Black Crappie, Bowfin, Common Shiner, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Rock Bass, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Hatch Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Hatch 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
- DNR access: Thru navigable channel from Turtle Lake (small boats only).
DNR bathymetry
Hatch Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Maple Lake · 255 ac · 1.5 mi
- Bello Lake · 527 ac · 1.7 mi
- Big Too Much Lake · 292 ac · 1.9 mi
- Long Lake · 155 ac · 1.9 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 260 ac · 3 mi
- Turtle Lake · 2,126 ac · 3 mi
- Gunderson Lake · 183 ac · 3.6 mi
- Little Turtle Lake · 492 ac · 3.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Hatch Lake?
Hatch Lake reaches 88 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 45 ft; about 22% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Hatch Lake?
Hatch Lake covers 226 acres with about 4.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Hatch Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Hatch Lake average 16.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Hatch Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2013) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Hatch Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Hatch Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Hatch Lake have a public access?
Yes. Hatch Lake has one public access site: DNR access (Thru navigable channel from Turtle Lake (small boats only).).
How big do smallmouth bass get in Hatch Lake?
The biggest smallmouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2000.
When was Hatch Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Hatch Lake in 2013, the most recent of 5 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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