Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 15, 2025
Hiawatha Lake FishingDWater-quality grade D
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hiawatha Lake average 4.34 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 15, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 16–27 inches. In Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hiawatha Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of D. Water clarity averages 3.3 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 Hiawatha Lake
12 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 Hiawatha Lake
No stocking record for Hiawatha 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 Hiawatha Lake average 4.34 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 15, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 16–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Hiawatha Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-15 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 76.96 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluegill | 8.08 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.65 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.69 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.34 | 1.89 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.77 | 0.07 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2025-07-15 survey
Hiawatha is small, 53-acre lake, located in South Minneapolis. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 33 feet, and about half the lake is 15 feet deep or less. Minnehaha Creek flows through Lake Hiawatha, with the steam's inflow and out flow along the southern shore of the lake. Minneapolis city park land surrounds the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hiawatha Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HiawathaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Hiawatha Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Hiawatha Lake average 4.34 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 15, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 16–27 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 12 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 Hiawatha Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Hiawatha Lake is dated July 15, 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 Hiawatha Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Hiawatha 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 Hiawatha Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Hiawatha Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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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