Hay Lake
Carlton County, Minnesota140 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
Hay Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 140.05 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2021 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Hay Lake. DNR survey details →
Hay Lake is a 140-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 14 feet (4-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 21 other monitored lakes in Carlton County, Hay Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Hay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 10
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Hay 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 Hay Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Phosphorus 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.7 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.7µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Hay Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 76 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hay Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2021 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Hay Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hay Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 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: 2021-08-16 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2021-08-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 11.01 | 5–8 in 2021-08-16 | 0.19 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 9.86 | 8–9 in 2021-08-16 | 1.17 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 8.95 | 5–10 in 2021-08-16 | 0.98 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.73 | 13–39 in 2021-08-16 | 1.92 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.51 | 19–22 in 2021-08-16 | 4.16 lb |
| Bluegill | 1.74 | 2–7 in 2021-08-16 | 0.29 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.
Yellow Perch
Brown Bullhead
Black Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2021-08-16 survey
Hay Lake is a 215 acre lake with 214 acres (99.5%) of littoral area and a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake is located southwest of Wrenshall, MN off of County Road 4. It has a county-owned earthen access located at the southern end of the lake. The current fisheries management plan for Hay directs Walleye fry…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hay Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HayFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Hay (0259)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HayFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HayPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
14 ft
Average depth
3.9 ft
Surface area
140 acres
Shoreline
4.5 mi
Littoral zone
87%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,096 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Hay LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Hay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hay Lake in Carlton 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.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hay Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+3 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 10
Earliest Apr 5, 1998 · Latest May 6, 2014
Most recent ice-out
May 1
2023
8 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Hay Lake
Where is Hay Lake?
- Hay Lake is a lake in Carlton County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hay Lake?
- Hay Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 14 ft. Surface area: 140.05 acres.
Is Hay 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 Hay Lake?
- Hay Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 76 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hay Lake?
- Hay Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet and an average depth of 3.9 feet. The lake covers 140.05 acres.
What fish are in Hay Lake?
- Fish species found in Hay Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Hay Lake is located in Carlton County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hay Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2021 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Hay Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hay Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Hay Lake thaw?
- Hay Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 10.
Are there boat ramps on Hay Lake?
- Hay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hay Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Hay Lake?
- Hay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Hay Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA36 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate