Hammal Lake

Hammal Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season.

A TSI near 41 places Hammal Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake bottoms out at 44 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 376 acres, Hammal Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 4.6 miles of shoreline. Hammal Lake ranks 15 of 53 in Aitkin County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Hammal Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 14 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Hammal Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 13 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 13. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.