Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 17, 2025
Lower Hay Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Lower Hay Lake average 16.50 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 25 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 17, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–11 inches. In Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Lower Hay Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 18.5 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. 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 Lower Hay Lake
21 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 Lower Hay Lake
No stocking record for Lower Hay 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.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Lower Hay Lake average 16.50 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 25 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 17, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–11 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Lower Hay Lake A 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
25 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.74 | 0.14 lb |
| Walleye | 16.50 | 1.35 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 15.56 | 0.14 lb |
| Rock Bass | 8.23 | 0.44 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.
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
Common questions
What fish are in Lower Hay Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Lower Hay Lake average 16.50 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 25 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 17, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–11 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 21 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 Lower Hay Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Lower Hay Lake is dated September 17, 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 Lower Hay Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Lower Hay 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 Lower Hay Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Lower Hay Lake A 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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