Minnesota · Cass County
Hunter Lake Fishing guide
Hunter Lake covers 182 acres in Cass County, Minnesota, reaching 48 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 1987, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 39 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Hunter Lake in 1987. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Hunter 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. On a lake that drops to 48 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.
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. On a lake that drops to 48 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile 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 1987 survey
Numbers/Set (Lbs./fish) NOP BLG SMB LMB WAE1987 1.0(9.7) 6.1(0.19) 8.7(1.8) 1.3(0.72) 1.7(5.4)1969 1.5(2.1) 36.0(0.20) 1.5(0.73) 1.5(0.48) 1.0(10.5)Northern Pike - Gillnet catches indicate a low population of large fish. No year classes beyond 1979 were present indicating limited natural reproduction.Bluegill - Trapnet catches are lower than 1969 survey while the average size of a bluegill is the same. All size classes up to 8 inches present.Smallmouth Bass - Net catches of smallmouth bass were high and the average weight of a fish was 1.8 pounds. All recent year classes were represented except for 1981 indicating excellent natural reproduction.Largemouth Bass - Length frequency indicates good natural reproduction.Walleye - The gillnet catch of walleye were made up of primarily fish greater than 19 inches in length. Stocking records indicate that no recent walleye stocking has taken place in Hunter Lake. Lakeshore owners stocked 1000 fingerlings by permit during fall of 1987.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Hunter Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Hunter 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
Hunter Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Wabedo Lake · 1,226 ac · 1.3 mi
- Mule Lake · 525 ac · 1.6 mi
- Little Boy Lake · 1,452 ac · 1.9 mi
- Woman Lake · 5,520 ac · 3.5 mi
- Blackwater Lake · 772 ac · 3.7 mi
- Rice Lake · 270 ac · 3.9 mi
- Girl Lake · 428 ac · 4 mi
- Lake · 759 ac · 4.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Hunter Lake?
Hunter Lake reaches 48 ft at its deepest point; about 29% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Hunter Lake?
Hunter Lake covers 182 acres with about 2.6 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Hunter Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1987) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Hunter Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Hunter Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was Hunter Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Hunter Lake in 1987, the most recent of 3 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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