Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 18, 2025
Species recorded at Hanska Lake
16 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Hanska Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Getting on the water
3 public boat landings are recorded on Hanska Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 10.78 walleye per gill net at Hanska Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hanska Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-18 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-18 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 74.83 | 11 in 2025-08-18 | 0.58 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 55.27 | 0.01 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 32.09 | 7 in 2025-08-18 | 0.25 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.75 | 2–10 in 2021-08-29 | 0.3 lb |
| Walleye | 15.02 | 8–25 in 2025-08-18 | 1.32 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.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Walleye
From the 2025-08-18 survey
Hanska is a large-sized lake (1,794 acres) located west of the City of Hanska in Brown County. A large state-owned access with paved parking and a double cement boat ramp is present on the southeast shore. There are also two smaller boat ramps at the northwest end of the lake (Geiger Point and Godahl). There are…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hanska Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HanskaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HanskaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HanskaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Hanska Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 18, 2025 caught 10.78 walleye per gill net at Hanska Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–25 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 16 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Hanska Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Hanska Lake is dated August 18, 2025. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Hanska Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Hanska Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Hanska Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hanska Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Hanska Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Hanska Lake
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