Hoff Lake

How big is Hoff Lake?

How deep is Hoff Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Hoff Lake?

What are the closest cities to Hoff Lake?

Are there boat launches on Hoff Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Hoff Lake?

Gill nets, trap nets and shoreline seining were used to sample the Hoff Lake fish population during the 2004 summer. Aquatic plant sampling and water quality monitoring were also conducted. Hoff Lake has a history of winterkill with a partial kill occurring during the 2003-2004 winter. Fish populations can fluctuate greatly depending on the frequency and severity of this phenomenon. Hoff Lake is highly fertile and shallow. Aquatic vegetation, mainly curlyleaf pondweed, was abundant until it died back in late June. Other submergent aquatic plant species would be considered rare in this lake. Much of the lakeshore is undeveloped and row crops dominate the lake's watershed. Limited shore fishing is available on the south end of the lake near the public access. High numbers of northern pike were gill netted in 2004. Pike were 11.2-31.7 inches long averaging 23.4 inches. The 2001 year class was particlarly strong. Moderate numbers of black crappie were trap netted. Black crappie were 4.2-12.3 inches long averaging 7.8 inches. Approximately 45% of the sample 8 inches or longer. Moderate numbers of white crappie were trap netted averaging 8.8 inches. Low numbers of bluegill, yellow perch and largemouth bass were also sampled. A few of the bluegill and yellow perch were keeper sized. Black bullhead dominated the catch, as they have since the lake was first netted back in 1978. Black bullhead were small, averaging 6.3 inches. High numbers of carp were gill netted, averaging 15.5 inches. Hoff Lake was used as a walleye rearing pond in 2004, with hopes of producing fingerlings for statewide stocking efforts. Carry-over would then be available to anglers. No walleye fingerlings were harvested that fall, but 2 young-of-the-year walleye were captured during shoreline seining. Anglers may want to concentrate their efforts on northern pike and crappie when fishing this occassional winterkill lake.

What is the average air temp for Hoff Lake?