Hook Lake
McLeod County, Minnesota330 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hook Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Hook Lake in McLeod County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 329.53 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on April 15, 2019 caught 4.75 northern pike per trap net at Hook Lake. DNR survey details →
Hook Lake is a 330-acre lake in McLeod County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet (8-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including black bullhead, northern pike, and yellow perch. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Hook Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Hook Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hook 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 Hook Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hook Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | 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. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hook Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Hook Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hook Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Hook Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (691,831 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on April 15, 2019 caught 4.75 northern pike per trap net at Hook Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hook Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-04-15 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2019-04-15 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 78.76 | 7–9 in 2019-04-15 | 0.21 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.59 | 2–11 in 2015-08-24 | 0.21 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.57 | 8–10 in 2010-08-23 | 0.89 lb |
| Common Carp | 9.13 | 12–18 in 2015-08-24 | 2.05 lb |
| Walleye | 8.05 | 9–11 in 2015-08-24 | 1.27 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.98 | 5 in 2019-04-15 | 0.14 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.
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
Common Carp
From the 2019-04-15 survey
A 2018-2019 winter oxygen test indicated potential for winterkill at Hook Lake, and dead fish (150 Black Bullhead, 10 Northern Pike, 50 Bluegill, and 10 Yellow Perch) were verified at the culvert on the lake's southern shore on 3/19/19, before full ice-out. This ice-out trap netting survey was conducted to evaluate…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hook Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HookFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HookFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HookPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Average depth
8 ft
Surface area
330 acres
Shoreline
4.4 mi
Littoral zone
98%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,066 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Hook LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hook Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hook Lake in McLeod 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 Hook Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Hook Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Hook Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN43-0073-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Hook Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Hutchinson Technology IncHutchinson · 3.9 mi away · NPDES MN0055506
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in McLeod County
Frequently asked questions about Hook Lake
Where is Hook Lake?
- Hook Lake is a lake in McLeod County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hook Lake?
- Hook Lake in McLeod County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 329.53 acres.
Is Hook Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Hook Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Hook Lake?
- Hook Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hook Lake?
- Hook Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 329.53 acres.
What fish are in Hook Lake?
- Fish species found in Hook Lake include black bullhead, northern pike, yellow perch. Hook Lake is located in McLeod County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hook Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on April 15, 2019 caught 4.75 northern pike per trap net at Hook Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hook Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Hook Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Hook Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (691,831 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Hook Lake?
- Hook Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hook Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Hook Lake?
- Hook 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 Hook Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
79 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
MNPCA79 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory