Hill Lake

How big is Hill Lake?

How deep is Hill Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Hill Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Hill Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Hill Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Hill Lake North

Hill Lake South

Are there boat launches on Hill Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Hill Lake?

Hill Lake is one of the larger lakes in Aitkin County at 907 acres and is located on the east side of Hill City. The lake has a maximum depth of 48 ft. and is divided into two distinct basins by Highway 200. Hill Lake has a long history of fisheries management activities dating back to an initial survey conducted in 1948. Hill is primarily managed for walleye through alternate year supplemental fry stocking. Hill Lake was part of an intensive monitoring project from 2008-2011 as part of a larger sampling program called SLICE (Sustaining Lakes In a Changing Environment). This program included annual trap net assessments, ice-out trapping for northern pike, spring electrofishing for largemouth bass, gill net assessments in 2009 and 2010, as well as a variety of other biological and chemical samplings by other branches of the DNR and other state agencies. The aquatic plant community in Hill Lake is relatively diverse with a narrow band of moderately dense plant growth rimming both basins. Plants grow in approximately 2/3 of the smaller southern basin, though reduced water clarity limits how deep these plants can grow. A variety of game fish are found in Hill Lake with relatively healthy populations of desirable species, and with walleye being the primary focus of many anglers.

The gill net index of walleye at Hill Lake has ranged from a low of about 4/net in 1948 to a high of 14/net in 1980, and is currently at 4.6/net, which is a decrease from 2010 (7.9/net). This level is higher than most lakes in Aitkin County, but is below the lakes management goal of 8 per gill net. The bulk of the population is supported by an alternate year fry stocking program that began in 1981. Occasionally the lake can produce decent year classes on its own, which suggests natural reproduction can be a significant component of recruitment. In 2015, walleyes ranged from 9.5 to 26.7 inches with an average of 18 inches. The 4 yr old 2011 year class was the most abundant and comprised nearly 60 percent of the sample. Very few juvenile fish were present.

The long-term gill net catch of northern pike at Hill Lake has been relatively stable averaging about 2.9 / gill net over the previous 9 surveys dating back to 1980. Over time, net catches have been on the lower end of the normal range for lake class 25 lakes. In 2015, northern pike catch rates increased from the previous survey (2.7/gill net in 2010 to 6.8/ gill net in 2015). The catch rate of pike over 24 inches also increased slightly from the previous assessment, but most of the overall increase was from smaller fish in the 18 to 21 inch size classes. In 2015, one individual measured 38.9 inches and fish of this size have been documented in previous surveys and spring trap net assessments, indicating the potential for Hill Lake to grow large pike. Hill Lake has the potential to provide quality northern pike angling experiences, and anglers are reminded that releasing more medium and large size fish can help immensely toward maintaining a healthy size structure.

The gill net assessments appear to indicate that abundance of largemouth bass has slowly increased over time. Conversely, electrofishing catch rates have decreased from the high of 69/hr in 2009 to 25/hr in 2015. The size structure appears healthy, with fish over 18 inches observed in each of the last four electrofishing assessments.

Black crappie catches showed an increase since the previous survey from 1.2/gill net (2010) to 7.4/gill net (2015), which was primarily due to a single strong year class that was produced in 2010 and comprised over 90 percent of the sample. Black crappie ranged in size from 4.9 inches to 12.8 inches, with a mean length of 8.9 inches.

Bluegill catches have been below the normal range for this lake type over the past three surveys going back to 2009, and size was small with a mean of 4.8 inches and only 2 individuals recorded over 8 inches. Seasonal preferences in habitat type of bluegill are likely biasing the trap net catches as larger bluegill tend to seek out deeper water during the time of year when this survey is normally conducted.

What is the average air temp for Hill Lake?

Are there any state parks near Hill Lake?