Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 22, 2013
Hatch Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hatch Lake average 13.79 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 22, 2013. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. In Itasca County, Minnesota, Hatch Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 15.3 feet of visibility. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Hatch Lake
15 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 Hatch Lake
No stocking record for Hatch Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hatch Lake average 13.79 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 22, 2013. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Hatch Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 28.38 | 0.58 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 13.79 | 1.51 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.45 | 0.44 lb |
| Bluegill | 4.73 | 0.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.90 | 1.92 lb |
| Rock Bass | 1.80 | 0.24 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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
Common questions
What fish are in Hatch Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hatch Lake average 13.79 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 22, 2013. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 15 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 Hatch Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Hatch Lake is dated July 22, 2013. 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 Hatch Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Hatch Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Hatch Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Hatch Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is 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 can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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