Big Hanson

Cass County

Near Walker

DOW: 11039100

Yellow PerchExcellent · 78PumpkinseedGood · 58Northern PikeGood · 51

A 18-acre lake near Walker in Cass County — best known for panfish and pike. Last surveyed 1990.

Fish Species (9)

Yellow Perch

Excellent · 78

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.13 lbs

Catch rate: 147.5 per gill net · typical 1.5–23 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 2, 1990	10.75	-	0.13 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 2, 1990	147.50	-	0.13 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 1, 1987	25.50	-	0.17 lbs	Standard trap nets

Pumpkinseed

Good · 58

Above-normal numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.08 lbs

Catch rate: 8.8 per trap net · typical 1.3–6.3 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 2, 1990	1.00	-	0.05 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 2, 1990	8.75	-	0.08 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1987	12.50	-	0.01 lbs	Standard trap nets

Northern Pike

Good · 51

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

2.07 lbs

Catch rate: 3.5 per gill net · typical 2.8–8.7 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 2, 1990	3.50	-	2.07 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 2, 1990	0.25	-	2.70 lbs	Standard trap nets

Walleye

Average · 49

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Aug 1979

Last surveyed 1979 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.25 lbs

Catch rate: 1.5 per gill net · typical 0.5–3.3 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Aug 2, 1979	2.75	-	0.63 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 2, 1979	1.50	-	1.25 lbs	Standard gill nets

Other species in this lake (5)

Rough fish, bullheads, and baitfish recorded in DNR surveys — present in the lake, but not typical angling targets.

Golden Shiner

Good · 65

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 1.0 per gill net · typical 0.2–0.8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 2, 1990	3.00	-	0.06 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1987	7.00	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1987	1.00	-	0.10 lbs	Standard gill nets

Brown Bullhead

Good · 63

Above-normal numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Aug 1979

Last surveyed 1979 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.12 lbs

Catch rate: 7.5 per trap net · typical 0.5–2.2 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Aug 2, 1979	7.50	-	0.12 lbs	Standard trap nets

Black Bullhead

Good · 53

Typical numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.13 lbs

Catch rate: 2.5 per trap net · typical 0.3–2.8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 2, 1990	26.00	-	0.09 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 2, 1990	2.50	-	0.13 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1987	2.00	-	0.10 lbs	Standard gill nets

White Sucker

Average · 49

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

2.00 lbs

Catch rate: 0.5 per gill net · typical 0.5–2.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 2, 1990	0.50	-	2.00 lbs	Standard gill nets

Yellow Bullhead

Poor · 19

Below-normal numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.40 lbs

Catch rate: 0.25 per trap net · typical 1–8.4 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 1, 1987	0.25	-	0.40 lbs	Standard trap nets

Biologist Notes

July 2, 1990NO WAE WERE TAKEN DURING THIS ASSESSMENT. WAE FRY (100,000) WERE STOCKED IN 1988, BUT THIS ASSESSMENT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE THAT THE STOCKED FRY SURVIVED…

NO WAE WERE TAKEN DURING THIS ASSESSMENT. WAE FRY (100,000) WERE STOCKED IN 1988, BUT THIS ASSESSMENT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE THAT THE STOCKED FRY SURVIVED. WAE HAVE BEEN REPORTED ONLY IN THE 1979 POPULATION ASSESSMENT, WHEN WAE RANGING FROM 11 TO 17 INCHES WERE COLLECTED. ALL WAE FROM THE 1979 ASSESSMENT WERE DETERMINTED TO BE AGE 3+ (FROM THE 1976 YEAR CLASS). IF THE AGE DETERMINATION WAS INCORRECT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SMALLER WAE TAKEN IN THE 1979 ASSESSMENT COULD HAVE BEEN FROM FRY STOCKING. IF THE AGE DETERMINATIONS WERE CORRECT, NONE OF THOSE AGED WOULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE 1977 WAE FRY STOCKING.BIG HANSON HAD AN ABUNDANT YEP POPULATION IN 1990 (147.5 YEP/GILLNET) AS IT DID IN 1987 (143 YEP/GILLNET) AND IN 1979 (118.5 YEP/GILLNET). MOST OF THE YEP ARE SMALL, WITH A PSD OF ONLY 10.3 IN 1990.THE 1990 NOP GILLNET CATCH RATE WAS 3.5 NOP/GILLNET. NOP RANGED IN LENGTH FROM 17 TO 21 INCHES. DURING THE 1970, 1979 AND 1987 SURVEYS, NOP WERE NOT COLLECTED. GOLDEN SHINERS (GOS) AND YEP SHOULD PROVIDE ABUNDANT FORAGE FOR THE NOP THAT ARE PRESENT IN BIG HANSON.NONE OF THE PMK TAKEN IN THE 1990 ASSESSMENT WERE LONGER THAN 5.9 INCHES. DURING THE LAST FOUR SURVEYS (1970, 1979, 1987, AND 1990), ONLY ONE PMK LARGER THAN 5.9 INCHES HAS BEEN COLLECTED.

July 1, 1987THE SAMPLED FISH POPULATION CONSISTED OF BLB, YEB, PMK, YEP AND GOS. THE GILLNET CATCH OF YEP WAS VERY HIGH (ALSO VERY HIGH IN 1979). PMK GROWTH RATES…

THE SAMPLED FISH POPULATION CONSISTED OF BLB, YEB, PMK, YEP AND GOS. THE GILLNET CATCH OF YEP WAS VERY HIGH (ALSO VERY HIGH IN 1979). PMK GROWTH RATES WERE GOOD.

August 2, 1979YEP POPULATION ABOVE STATE AVERAGES. WAE POPULATION FAIR WITH ABOVE AVERAGE GROWTH RATE. BULLHEAD POPULATION POSE NO PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. PMK ARE SMA…

YEP POPULATION ABOVE STATE AVERAGES. WAE POPULATION FAIR WITH ABOVE AVERAGE GROWTH RATE. BULLHEAD POPULATION POSE NO PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. PMK ARE SMALL IN SIZE.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish can you catch in Big Hanson?

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Northern Pike, and Walleye in Big Hanson. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Is there public access at Big Hanson?

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Big Hanson. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

How deep is Big Hanson?

Big Hanson has a maximum depth of 95 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

When were the main sport fish in Big Hanson last surveyed?

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Big Hanson is from 1990. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.