Minnesota · Meeker County
Hope Lake Fishing guide
Hope Lake covers 274 acres in Meeker County, Minnesota, reaching 10 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2004, with northern pike, bluegill, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 22 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Hope Lake in 2004. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Hope 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 100% 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. A 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat. A 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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:
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
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
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 2004 survey
Gill nets, trap nets and shoreline seining were used to sample the Hope Lake fish population during the 2004 summer. Aquatic plant sampling and water quality monitoring were also conducted. Hope Lake has a history of winterkill, and fish population levels can fluctuate greatly depending on the frequency and severity of this phenomenon. There is no developed public access at Hope Lake. Hope Lake is shallow and very fertile. Submergent vegetation would be considered rare in this lake, but quality patches of emergent bullrush and cattail still exist. The lake's watershed is dominated by row crops and much of the shoreline and island remain undeveloped. High numbers of yellow perch were gill netted in 2004. Yellow perch were 5.3-11.3 inches long averaging 8.6 inches. An impressive 69% of the sample was at least 8 inches and 17% reached the 10 inch mark. Most of the perch were from the strong 2001 year class. High numbers of northern pike were also gill netted. Northern pike were 19.5-30.5 inches long averaging 24.5 inches. The last time this lake was netted (1991), a handful of small bluegill and small yellow perch were all the gamemfish the lake had to offer anglers. Hopefully the present population will provide some angling opportunity before the next winterkill occurs. Black bullhead, which have dominated past nettings, were only sampled in moderate numbers in 2004. Trap netted black bullhead averaged 4.3 inches. Moderate numbers of carp were also trapped, averaging 19.8 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Hope Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Hope 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
- County access: Undeveloped; carry-in; access at he NE end of the lake; off CTY ROAD 23.
DNR bathymetry
Hope Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Long Lake · 783 ac · 2.3 mi
- Star Lake · 553 ac · 2.7 mi
- Ripley (west portion) Lake · 614 ac · 5.8 mi
- Carrie Lake · 89 ac · 6.5 mi
- Minnie-Belle Lake · 597 ac · 6.8 mi
- Round Lake · 266 ac · 7.2 mi
- Elizabeth (Main Lake) · 1,024 ac · 7.6 mi
- Ella Lake · 153 ac · 7.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Hope Lake?
Hope Lake reaches 10 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Hope Lake?
Hope Lake covers 274 acres with about 3.8 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Hope Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2004) record northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Hope Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Hope Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Hope Lake have a public access?
Yes. Hope Lake has one public access site: County access (Undeveloped; carry-in; access at he NE end of the lake; off CTY ROAD 23.).
When was Hope Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Hope Lake in 2004, 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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