Little Hanging Horn Lake
Carlton County, Minnesota100 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Hanging Horn Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Hanging Horn Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 100.08 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2015 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Little Hanging Horn Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Hanging Horn Lake is a 100-acre lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 31 feet (11-foot average). The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-10-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Hanging Horn Lake covers about 100 acres in Carlton County. The median ice-out date is April 19, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Little Hanging Horn Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Little Hanging Horn Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
- Deep water31 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Hanging Horn Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Hanging Horn 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 Little Hanging Horn Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Hanging Horn 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 11.5 ft. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | 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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Hanging Horn Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2015 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Little Hanging Horn Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Hanging Horn Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-08-03 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2015-08-03 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 15.00 | 5–20 in 2015-08-03 | 1.29 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.31 | 3–8 in 2015-08-03 | 0.24 lb |
| Black Crappie | 7.87 | 4–10 in 2015-08-03 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.38 | 10–27 in 2015-08-03 | 1.57 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.40 | 5–7 in 2015-08-03 | 0.24 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 2.38 | 9–14 in 2015-08-03 | 0.88 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Northern Pike
From the 2015-08-03 survey
A standard survey was conducted on Bear Lake during the summer of 2015 to update information about fish populations. Walleye is the primary management species for Bear Lake and fingerlings are stocked during even numbered years. Walleye abundance of 1.0 per gillnet lift was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Hanging Horn Lake. 5 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BearFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bear (0272)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bear (2069)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BearFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BearPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
31 ft
Average depth
11 ft
Surface area
100 acres
Shoreline
2.6 mi
Littoral zone
70%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Little Hanging Horn Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Hanging Horn Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Hanging Horn Lake
- → Little Hanging Horn Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Hanging Horn Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Hanging Horn Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Hanging Horn Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Mar 24, 2012 · Latest May 4, 2014
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 11, 2009 · Latest Dec 9, 2016
Most recent ice-out
May 1
2023
17 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Little Hanging Horn 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.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN09-0035-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Little Hanging Horn Lake
Where is Little Hanging Horn Lake?
- Little Hanging Horn 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 Little Hanging Horn Lake?
- Little Hanging Horn Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 31 ft. Surface area: 100.08 acres.
Is Little Hanging Horn Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Hanging Horn Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Hanging Horn Lake?
- Little Hanging Horn Lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet and an average depth of 11 feet. The lake covers 100.08 acres.
What fish are in Little Hanging Horn Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Hanging Horn Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Hanging Horn Lake is located in Carlton County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Hanging Horn Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 3, 2015 caught 1.00 walleye per gill net at Little Hanging Horn Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Hanging Horn Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Little Hanging Horn Lake thaw?
- Little Hanging Horn Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 219 days.
Can I fish at Little Hanging Horn Lake?
- Public access to Little Hanging Horn Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Little Hanging Horn Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA12 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate