Minnesota · Carver County
Hydes Lake Fishing guide
Hydes Lake is a 222-acre lake in Carver County, Minnesota, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 3.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2017, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 9 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Largemouth bassFair numbers49.4per hr (electrofishing)10"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 72 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2017Lengths measured · 67 fish
2017Lengths measured · 5 fish
2013Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 8 fish
2007Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2001Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeOne of the best around15.6per gill net21"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 149 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2017Lengths measured · 73 fish
2017Lengths measured · 76 fish
2013Lengths measured · 48 fish
2007Lengths measured · 27 fish
2001BluegillJust a few23.8per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 473 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2017Lengths measured · 111 fish
2017Lengths measured · 362 fish
2013Lengths measured · 424 fish
2007Lengths measured · 104 fish
2001CrappieJust a few7.4per trap net6"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 228 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2017Lengths measured · 77 fish
2017Lengths measured · 151 fish
2013Lengths measured · 555 fish
2007Lengths measured · 425 fish
2001Yellow perchGood numbers6per gill net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 58 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2017Lengths measured · 2 fish
2017Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 56 fish
2013Lengths measured · 161 fish
2007Lengths measured · 19 fish
2001Rates 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 Hydes Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 3.9 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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 74% 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 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 3.9 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 74% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 18-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.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 26" | 19" | 5" |
| 2013 | 32" | 8" | 8" |
| 2007 | 32" | 16" | 10" |
| 2001 | 33" | 12" | 8" |
| 1995 | 32" | 18" | 8" |
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 · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro 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 2017 survey
Hydes Lake is a 222-acre lake with a maximum depth of 18 feet, located northeast of Norwood Young America, in west central Carver County. Hydes Lake has been known to "boom or bust" in previous years, with the last partial winterkill occurring during the winter of 2010-2011. Hydes is actively managed for Largemouth Bass, but includes catchable populations of Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Northern Pike. A Standard Survey (trap nets and gill nets) was conducted on Hydes Lake during the week of 7/24/17. During the survey, water clarity was 2.5 feet, with low oxygen below 10 feet. Eurasian Watermilfoil also remains present in Hydes Lake.
Largemouth Bass were sampled at a rate of 49.4 fish per hour; this value is the first from effort specifically targeting Largemouth Bass in Hydes Lake. Largemouth Bass averaged 11.0 inches-- with the largest measuring 19.1 inches-- while 17% of fish sampled were over 15 inches. Growth was slow compared to similar lakes across the state. Despite slow growth, the Largemouth Bass population in Hydes is healthy, with many year classes of fish.
Read the full DNR narrative
Bluegill were sampled with trap nets at low numbers (11.9/net) compared to similar lakes. Bluegill averaged 6.3 inches, with the largest measured at 9.1 inches. Approximately 22% of sampled fish were greater than 7 inches. Despite low numbers, Hydes Lake has the potential to provide Bluegill angling opportunity.
Black Crappie were sampled with gill nets (9.0/net) and trap nets (4.7/net) -- near the expected catch rates of similar lakes. Black Crappie averaged 8.1 inches, with the largest measured at 11.8 inches. Growth was fast, with an average size of 8.7 inches by age 3. Approximately 27% of Black Crappie Sampled in Hydes Lake were greater than 9 inches.
Northern Pike numbers in Hydes Lake were high, with 14.0/net. Average size of Northern Pike in gill nets was 21.8 inches, with the largest measured at 27 inches. The majority of Northern Pike sampled were small, with 71% less than 22 inches. However, high numbers of small pike provides a good opportunity to take advantage of the new Northern Pike regulation (which begins in 2018), where possession limit increases to 10, but with no more than two pike longer than 26 inches; all from 22 to 26 inches must be released.
Other fish species sampled in the 2017 survey included: Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Hydes Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Hydes 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
- Hydes Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Hydes Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Eagle Lake · 183 ac · 3.1 mi
- Burandt Lake · 97 ac · 4.1 mi
- Goose Lake · 302 ac · 5.2 mi
- Waconia Lake · 3,080 ac · 5.5 mi
- Reitz Lake · 92 ac · 6.4 mi
- Miller Lake · 143 ac · 6.8 mi
- Swede Lake · 433 ac · 8.3 mi
- Parley Lake · 258 ac · 8.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Hydes Lake?
Hydes Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point; about 74% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Hydes Lake?
Hydes Lake covers 222 acres with about 2.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Hydes Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Hydes Lake average 3.9 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Hydes Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2017) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Hydes Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Hydes Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Hydes Lake have a public access?
Yes. Hydes Lake has one public access site: Hydes Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Hydes Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 32"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Hydes Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Hydes Lake in 2017, the most recent of 8 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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