Minnesota · Cass County
Hattie Lake Fishing guide
Hattie Lake covers 588 acres in Cass County, Minnesota, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2002, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 24 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Hattie Lake in 2002. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Hattie Lake through the year
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
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 · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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
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 2002 survey
Hattie Lake is 484-acre lake located near Backus, MN. With a maximum depth of 30 feet, app`roximately 41% of the surface area is littoral (less than 15 feet). There is no public access but it may be possible to access the lake through one of the resorts. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Hattie Lake is in Lake Class 25; lakes in this class are generally deep, clear, and irregular shaped lakes. This lake is primarily managed for northern pike, walleye, and bluegill, and secondarily for cisco, largemouth bass, black crappie, and yellow perch. Northern pike were abundant, but most of them were below 20 inches long. Northern pike were sampled up to 37 inches with a mean length of 21 inches. Walleye ranged from 10 to 27 inches with a mean length of 19 inches. The number of walleye caught was average for Lake Class 25. Several year classes are present which will provide some angling opportunities for the future. Bluegill were abundant, but few were sampled above eight inches. Other fish species that are present for anglers are black crappie, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, cisco (tullibee), greater redhorse, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium- to large-sized fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain balance in the fish community in Hattie Lake and provide anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Shoreline areas on the land and into the shallow water provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife that live in or near Minnesota's lakes. Overdeveloped shorelines can't support the fish, wildlife, and clean water that are associated with natural undeveloped lakes. The combined effects of all lakeshore owners "fixing up" their property can destroy a lake's valuable natural shorelines.Shoreline habitat consists of aquatic plants, woody plants and natural lake bottom soils. Plants in the water and at the water's edge provide habitat, prevent erosion and absorb excess nutrients. Shrubs, trees, and woody debris such as fallen trees or limbs provide good habitat both above and below the water and should be left in place. Natural lake bottom materials like silt or gravel are more ecologically productive than pure sand trucked in for a swimming beach. A tidy lawn and a sandy beach make great spots for sunbathing and swimming but do little to provide habitat for fish and wildlife. By leaving a buffer strip of natural vegetation along the shoreline, property owners can reduce erosion, help maintain water quality, and provide habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.Only if more lakeshore owners manage their shoreline in a natural condition can fish and wildlife populations on Minnesota lakes remain healthy and abundant. More specific information on protecting or restoring shorelines and watersheds is available through the local DNR Fisheries office.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Hattie Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Hattie 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.
DNR bathymetry
Hattie Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Johnson Lake · 90 ac · 2.2 mi
- Ada Lake · 963 ac · 2.7 mi
- Big Portage Lake · 902 ac · 2.9 mi
- Sanborn Lake · 220 ac · 3 mi
- Lizzie Lake · 414 ac · 3.4 mi
- Deep Portage Lake · 129 ac · 3.7 mi
- Lind Lake · 440 ac · 3.7 mi
- Willard Lake · 8 ac · 4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Hattie Lake?
Hattie Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 18 ft; about 34% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Hattie Lake?
Hattie Lake covers 588 acres with about 8.5 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Hattie Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2002) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Hattie Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Hattie Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was Hattie Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Hattie Lake in 2002, the most recent of 4 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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