Hare

Hare Lake is a 48-acre lake located 16 miles northeast of Finland off Lake County Road 7. The public access is located at the southeast corner of the lake on a county easement across private land and is suitable for small watercraft. Walleye were first introduced in 2017 and have been stocked annually in an effort to establish a fishable population. A standard fisheries survey was completed in 2024 using gill nets to evaluate the effectiveness of stocking and determine if changes are needed to achieve the goals in the current management plan. Walleye catch was well above the normal range compared to similar lakes for the second consecutive survey. Size was poor with an average length of just 11.7 inches and few fish longer than 14 inches captured. Results of this survey indicate excellent survival of stocked Walleye, which has created an overabundant population with poor growth due to competition. Stocking plans will be adjusted to decrease the density of stocked fish while maintaining angling opportunities.

This survey was completed to generate a mark and recapture estimate of the Walleye population and consisted of special trap netting to mark fish and standard survey gill netting as the recapture technique (See standard survey report for more information). Walleye sampled were small and ranged from about nine to 23 inches long with an average length of not quite 12 inches. Analysis of data collected from the standard and targeted surveys resulted in an estimate of approximately 3,000 Walleye that were at least eight inches long in the lake at the time of the survey. The Walleye population in Hare Lake is large relative to lake size indicating good survival of stocked fingerlings; however, the high number of fish present has resulted in slow growth and poor overall size quality. Based on recent survey results, area staff will be reviewing and altering the Walleye stocking plan for Hare Lake in an effort to improve the quality of fishery available to anglers. The Creek Chubs, Golden Shiners, White Suckers, and Yellow Perch also sampled during the survey provide the forage base for the Walleye population.

Hare Lake is located about 18 miles northeast of Finland and is 48 acres in size with a maximum depth of 22 feet. The lake was previously managed for stream trout however low dissolved oxygen levels in the summer likely contributed to poor success of stocked trout. The management was switched to Walleye stocking as the lake had abundant forage and habitat appropriate for the species. There is a small gravel back-in access suitable for small to medium sized boats located along the southeast shore. The access is on private property with an easement that provides for respectful public use. The area is small and limited to a few vehicles with trailers. The 2021 survey was the first since Walleye fingerling stocking began in 2017. The number of Walleye caught was much higher than the normal range for similar lakes indicating the first years of stocking have been successful. The average length of Walleye was 11.6 inches with fish ranging from 6.9 to 23.3 inches long. Only 14% of the catch measured longer than 15 inches. Growth appeared to be average for the area. The stocked 2018 year class accounted for 65% of the catch and averaged just over 12 inches in length at the time of the survey. The first few years of Walleye stocking has been extremely successful, but the abundance and size structure sustainable in the lake long-term is yet to be determined. Yellow Perch are an important forage fish in the lake and were sampled at close to normal numbers compared to similar lakes in the area. The longest perch was 7.5 inches, and they are likely not of interest to anglers. White Sucker are another important forage species in the lake and were sampled at above average numbers for the lake class. Common Shiner, Creek Chub, and Golden Shiner were other forage species sampled with the trap nets. All the forage species sampled are potentially important to the success of the Walleye stocking.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Brown Trout, Walleye, Yellow Perch, and Brook Trout in Hare. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Hare. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Hare has a maximum depth of 22 feet and a mean depth of 8.7 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Hare is from 2024.

No invasive species are on record for Hare in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.