2 miles northeast of Jenkins
Crow Wing County, Minnesota · 46.6692° N, 94.2850° W
Directions to Lower Hay Lake Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access site.
Updated 19 Oct 2026, 5:58 pm EDT.
National Weather Service; National Interagency Fire Center; U.S. EPA CyAN satellite; Minnesota DNR. Weather, warnings, fires and satellite refresh when you open the page (checked at most hourly).
Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
1 public access site on Lower Hay Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Lower Hay Lake was in June 2024: 12 gill nets and 12 trap nets caught 18 species. The DNR also ran a targeted survey in September 2025; this section uses the latest standard survey.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 2000 3.1 · 2005 1.1 · 2011 1.7 · 2018 1.5 · 2024 2.8
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 2000 98 · 2005 71 · 2011 50 · 2018 5.8 · 2024 12
Walleye: 36 measured, 9 to 29 in, half 14 in or longer; average 1.9 lb, normal (normal 1.2–2.1 lb).
Northern pike: 61 measured, 18 to 35 in, half 22 in or longer; average 3 lb, above normal (normal 1.6–2.8 lb).
Largemouth bass: 10 measured, 10 to 18 in, half 14 in or longer; average 2.1 lb, above normal (normal 0.2–0.8 lb).
Black crappie: 11 measured, 8 to 13 in, half 10 in or longer; average 0.63 lb, above normal (normal 0.3–0.6 lb).
Bluegill: 152 measured, 2 to 8 in, half 6 in or longer; average 0.19 lb, normal (normal 0.1–0.2 lb).
Also caught: black bullhead, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, greater redhorse, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), white sucker, yellow bullhead.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 3 Jun 2024, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 19 ft: the Secchi depth across 4 readings, 2011–2024.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Lower Hay Lake is 100 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 700 acres.
Yes. 1 public access site is listed: Lower Hay Lake Public Water Access Site.
Minnesota DNR’s June 2024 standard survey caught 18 species, most often bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass.
About 82% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.