Hattie Lake
Cass County, Minnesota588 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hattie Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 30 ft max depth
Hattie Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 587.82 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2002 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Hattie Lake. DNR survey details →
Hattie Lake is a 588-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet (18-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Hattie Lake ranks #49 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Hattie Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.3 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hattie 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 Hattie Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hattie Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.3 ft. Phosphorus 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.5 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Hattie Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2002 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Hattie Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hattie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2002-06-17 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2002-06-17 (Standard Survey)
24 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 18.98 | 2–9 in 2002-06-17 | 0.21 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.22 | 4–10 in 2002-06-17 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.34 | 4–11 in 2002-06-17 | 0.55 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.24 | 3–7 in 2002-06-17 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.01 | 8–36 in 2002-06-17 | 1.71 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 2.23 | 8–17 in 2002-06-17 | 1.02 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Yellow Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
From the 2002-06-17 survey
Hattie Lake is 484-acre lake located near Backus, MN. With a maximum depth of 30 feet, app`roximately 41% of the surface area is littoral (less than 15 feet). There is no public access but it may be possible to access the lake through one of the resorts. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hattie Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HattieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Hattie (1580)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
30 ft
Average depth
18 ft
Surface area
588 acres
Shoreline
8.5 mi
Littoral zone
34%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
84 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,302 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hattie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hattie Lake in Cass 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 Hattie Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Hattie Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hattie Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.2 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.16 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hattie Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Hattie (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the Pine River; gravity-type dam, 10 ft tall and 55 ft long.
- Surface area
- 484 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,716 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,168 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 85.3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00034 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Hattie Lake
Where is Hattie Lake?
- Hattie Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hattie Lake?
- Hattie Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 587.82 acres.
Is Hattie Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hattie Lake?
- Hattie Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet and an average depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 587.82 acres.
What fish are in Hattie Lake?
- Fish species found in Hattie Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, greater redhorse, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Hattie Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hattie Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2002 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Hattie Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hattie Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Hattie Lake?
- Public access to Hattie 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 Hattie Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Cass County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Brainerd Lakes area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Pine River Watersheds (Brainerd Lakes), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Hattie Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
44 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
MNPCA44 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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