Hatch Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota226 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hatch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 88 ft max depth
- Limited data
Hatch Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 88 ft. Surface area: 226.35 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2013 caught 1.17 walleye per gill net at Hatch Lake. DNR survey details →
Hatch Lake is a 226-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 88 feet (45-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Hatch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.3 ft of visibility
- Fishing15 species recorded
- 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 Hatch 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 Hatch Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hatch 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 15.3 ft down. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.3ft | 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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Hatch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Hatch Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 38 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hatch Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2013 caught 1.17 walleye per gill net at Hatch Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hatch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2013-07-22 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2013-07-22 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 28.38 | 7–17 in 2013-07-22 | 0.58 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 13.79 | 5–19 in 2013-07-22 | 1.51 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.45 | 9 in 2013-07-22 | 0.44 lb |
| Bluegill | 4.73 | 2–8 in 2013-07-22 | 0.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.90 | 12–38 in 2013-07-22 | 1.92 lb |
| Rock Bass | 1.80 | 3–8 in 2013-07-22 | 0.24 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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Smallmouth Bass
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2013-07-22 survey
Hatch Lake is a 243-acre lake located 5 miles northwest of Marcell, MN in the Big Fork River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 88 feet and 49 littoral acres. Hatch Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 23. These are relatively deep, medium-sized lakes with clear water. Other area lakes in Class 23 include Big Too…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hatch Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HatchFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Hatch (0704)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
88 ft
Average depth
45 ft
Surface area
226 acres
Shoreline
4.4 mi
Littoral zone
22%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
13 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,358 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hatch Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Hatch Lake
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Follow Hatch Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hatch Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.35 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.16 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Hatch Lake
Where is Hatch Lake?
- Hatch Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hatch Lake?
- Hatch Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 88 ft. Surface area: 226.35 acres.
Is Hatch 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 Hatch Lake?
- Hatch Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 38 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hatch Lake?
- Hatch Lake has a maximum depth of 88 feet and an average depth of 45 feet. The lake covers 226.35 acres.
What fish are in Hatch Lake?
- Fish species found in Hatch Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Hatch Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hatch Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2013 caught 1.17 walleye per gill net at Hatch Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hatch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Hatch Lake?
- Public access to Hatch 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 Hatch Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
55 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
MNPCA55 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