Hanson

Hanson Lake is a 19-acre designated stream trout lake located entirely within the Superior National Forest. Access is by a short but steep portage from a parking area on Hanson Lake Road. The lake is clear, has a maximum depth of 65 feet, and has steep sandy shorelines. The surrounding forest is a mature stand of red pines on rolling slopes. A user maintained campsite exists off the access trail and several spots suitable for shore fishing fringe the lake. Splake yield (7.6 lb/net) was above average. Lengths ranged from ten to 18 inches, averaging nearly 13.5 inches. This was greater than the long-term average for Hanson. Splake stomach contents were a mix of invertebrates and fish, including smelt. Rainbow smelt numbers (30.0/net) were below average and continued a generally declining trend. Lengths ranged from five to seven inches with a mean of about 6.5 inches.

Hanson is a 19 acre stream trout lake located 5 miles north of Ely in the Superior National Forest. Access is by a short portage from a parking area off of Hanson Lake Road (USFS Rd 450). This clear lake is surrounded by large pines, and has a sandy shoreline with sparse areas of muck and rock that steeply drops off towards a maximum depth of 65 feet. Several shore fishing sites are present and a user developed camp site exists on the east side of the lake. Splake fingerlings are stocked on an annual basis. The 2019 survey consisted of two standard experimental gill nets for trout and two small mesh deep water nets targeting smelt. Splake numbers were 4.5/net, below the long term average of 9/net, with an average length of 13 inches and weight of 1.1 pounds. Trout sizes were consistent with previous assessments. Fish from at least 3 year classes were present and the largest splake sampled was 19.5 inches long. Stomach contents consisted primarily of aquatic insects, but one large splake contained several rainbow smelt. Rainbow Smelt are not native to Minnesota, and are belived to have entered Hanson from Burntside by the small outlet on the north side of the lake. The introduction of smelt prompted a shift from rainbow trout stocking to splake, which are more likely to feed upon the now abundant forage supply. Smelt numbers have fluctuated quite a bit since their introduction in the early 1980s from a high of 610/net in 1989 to a low of 20/net in 2002, but have shown a continuing trend of reduced population and size structure. Smelt numbers were moderate at 55/net with a low average length of 5.2 inches.

Hanson Lake is a 19 acre designated trout lake located within the Superior National Forest. The lake is quite picturesque with very clear water and towering pines surrounding the shoreline. The lake is completely undeveloped and has a nice shore fishing/camping area near the access. It is accessible by a 100 yard portage from a parking area off USFS Rd 450. Hanson Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet with fairly steep drop-offs along most of its shore. The only inlet is from a small bog drainage. The outlet to Burntside Lake flows through a large bog with fish passage being unlikely. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly sand and boulder with some ledge rock and muck. Aquatic plants are sparse and grow to a depth of 15 feet. In 1963 Hanson Lake was poisoned to remove a population of largemouth bass and minnows, and in 1965 was stocked solely with rainbow trout. Rainbow trout were stocked annually until the discovery of rainbow smelt in 1983. After smelt were discovered the stocking regime was switched to brook trout and splake, both are species which are more likely to prey upon smelt. Since 1989 to the present, splake have been the only species stocked. The catch of splake by weight in this assessment was 13.7 lbs/gill net. This catch rate was better than 70% of the other stream trout lakes in the Tower Fisheries Management Area. Note that trout abundance is expressed in terms of pounds per net rather than number per net to reduce the influence of occasional high catches of just-stocked fingerlings. Twenty-one splake were captured and ranged in size from 9 to 26 inches with an average of 14 inches. Seven of the twenty-one (33%) fish captured were over 15 inches long. When compared to the historic splake catch of the lake, the average size is better and the largest splake recorded for the lake was the 26 inch fish sampled in this assessment. Eighty-four rainbow smelt were caught in one small mesh gillnet set. This catch rate is lower than the average catch since 1983. Although the population does bounce around a fair amount, overall it seems to be trending down both in numbers and size. Over the past four surveys the maximum size has decreased every assessment (from 9 inches in 1998 to 5 inches in 2014). Stomach content analyses of eleven splake showed 6 were empty, 3 contained smelt and 2 contained crayfish remains.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Brook Trout, Splake, and Rainbow Trout in Hanson. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Hanson has a maximum depth of 65 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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