Lower Hay Lake
Lower Hay Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 100 ft. Surface area: 700.21 acres.
- Clarity
- 18.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 64°F
- Max depth
- 100 ft
- Area
- 700 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 20
- Open water
- 228 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Lower Hay Lake is a 700-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 100 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 21 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Lower Hay Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 18.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 18.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Lower Hay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lower Hay Lake in Crow Wing 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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Water Temperature
Lower Hay Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 330 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Hay Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lower Hay Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (7,447 cells/mL) on November 29, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 100 ft |
| Surface Area | 700 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.4 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 31% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Upper Whitefish LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Hay Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
25 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.74 | 0.14 lb |
| LGP | 29.04 | — |
| Walleye | 16.50 | 1.35 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 15.56 | 0.14 lb |
| JND | 11.70 | — |
| Rock Bass | 8.23 | 0.44 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Rock Bass
From the 2025-09-17 survey
The current management plan calls for 5 million Walleye fry to be stocked annually into Whitefish which is connected to Lower Hay by a wide channel. In even numbered years Whitefish is also stocked with 2,714 lbs. of fingerlings; some of this stocking takes place at the Lower Hay access. Night electrofishing was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Hay Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower HayFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Lower Hay (0014)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lower HayPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.067 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.56 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.17 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (114 observations).
Estimated open water season: 228 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2021-04-07 (2021) | 1989-05-25 (1989) |
| Ice-In | 1983-11-03 (1983) | 2024-01-09 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-04-09
EPA Impairment Status
Lower Hay Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0378-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Hay Lake
What is the water quality grade for Lower Hay Lake?
- Lower Hay Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 100 ft. Surface area: 700.21 acres.
Is Lower Hay Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Lower Hay Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Lower Hay Lake?
- Lower Hay Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in August, from 330 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Hay Lake?
- Lower Hay Lake has a maximum depth of 100 feet. The lake covers 700.21 acres.
What fish are in Lower Hay Lake?
- Fish species found in Lower Hay Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lower Hay Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Lower Hay Lake thaw?
- Lower Hay Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Dec 4. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Does Lower Hay Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lower Hay Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (7,447 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Lower Hay Lake?
- Lower Hay Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Upper Whitefish Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lower Hay Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
275 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA275 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
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