Hamlet Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota307 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hamlet Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 88 ft max depth
- Limited data
Hamlet Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 88 ft. Surface area: 307.2 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 1989 caught 11.20 northern pike per gill net at Hamlet Lake. DNR survey details →
Hamlet Lake is a 307-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 88 feet. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Hamlet Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18.5 ft of visibility
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water88 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hamlet Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Hamlet Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hamlet Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18.5 ft down. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Hamlet Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Hamlet Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Oct (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 76 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hamlet Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Hamlet Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (16,596 cells/mL) on October 18, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 1989 caught 11.20 northern pike per gill net at Hamlet Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hamlet Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1989-07-19 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1989-07-19 (Standard Survey)
37 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 12.19 | 0.17 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 8.84 | 0.39 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.00 | 0.29 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 6.10 | 1.09 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.44 | 0.15 lb | |
| Rock Bass | 1.70 | 0.31 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
From the 1989-07-19 survey
Northern pike and yellow bullhead numbers are high. Bowfin, brown bullhead, rock bass, pumpkinseed, bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie are present in average numbers when compared with catch rates from lake class 23. Growth rates for northern pike were below average, and the individual sizes were small. Ages…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hamlet Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HamletFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Hamlet (0169)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
88 ft
Surface area
307 acres
Shoreline
4.5 mi
Littoral zone
32%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,247 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hamlet Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hamlet Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Hamlet Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Hamlet Lake’s readings
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Fishing Hamlet Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 16, 2024 · Latest May 13, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 5
Earliest Nov 20, 2018 · Latest Jan 8, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2025
51 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Hamlet Lake
Where is Hamlet Lake?
- Hamlet Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hamlet Lake?
- Hamlet Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 88 ft. Surface area: 307.2 acres.
Is Hamlet Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Hamlet Lake?
- Hamlet Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October, from 76 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hamlet Lake?
- Hamlet Lake has a maximum depth of 88 feet. The lake covers 307.2 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hamlet Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 1989 caught 11.20 northern pike per gill net at Hamlet Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hamlet Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Hamlet Lake thaw?
- Hamlet Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Dec 5. The open water season is approximately 232 days.
Does Hamlet Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Hamlet Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (16,596 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at Hamlet Lake?
- Public access to Hamlet Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Hamlet Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
113 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA113 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate