Hart Lake

How big is Hart Lake?

How deep is Hart Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Hart Lake?

What are the closest cities to Hart Lake?

Are there boat launches on Hart Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Hart Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Hart Lake?

Hart Lake is a moderately-sized lake located in southeastern Itasca County near the town of Pengilly. The lake is moderately fertile and has good water clarity. Much of the shoreline is undeveloped and in a natural state. Hart Lake is within the Mississippi River watershed. There are three inlets of wetland origin and an outlet to Swan Lake. A county-owned earthen ramp access is located at the north end of the lake.

The 2008 lake management plan (LMP) listed Northern Pike as the primary management species with Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie and Bluegill as secondary management species. A standard lake survey was conducted in August 2022 to update information on the fishery.

Gill-net catches for Northern Pike have been variable, ranging from 1 to 8.1/net in previous surveys. The 2022 catch rate (2.1/net) was typical for Hart Lake but below average compared to similar lakes. Low catch rates are desirable because they contribute to faster growth and better size quality for pike. Northern Pike size structure was fairly good in 2022. Pike ranged from 17.0 to 33.8 inches and averaged 23.9 inches. Ages 2 through 8 were represented in the sample with faster than average growth. Northern Pike averaged 24.4 inches after 4 years of growth. Anglers should release pike larger than 26 inches to maintain or improve size quality.

Gill-net and trap-net catches for Black Crappie were average for the lake and lakes with similar habitat. Size structure was poor; crappie averaged 7 to 8 inches, and no fish exceeding 10 inches were sampled. Five year-classes from age 2 through 6 were identified from scales. Growth appeared slow with crappie averaging 6.7 inches after four years of growth.

Hart Lake has often produced moderate numbers of Bluegill with poor size structure. The 2022 trap-net catch was below average for the lake at 7.5/net. Size structure remained fairly poor with Bluegill ranging from 3.2 to 8.4 inches with an average length of 5.5 inches. Eight year classes were sampled with ages 2 through 9 present. Growth was similar to the lake class average with fish reaching 6.1 inches after 6 years of growth.

Tullibee were the most common species captured in the gill nets. The 2022 catch rate (5.6/net) was similar to the previous survey and typical for the lake class. Sampled Tullibee ranged from 6.5 to 13.9 inches and averaged 10.6 inches. Tullibee are an important prey species for the production of large predators like Northern Pike.

Largemouth Bass were sampled in average numbers for the lake and lake class. Sampled bass ranged from 7.2 to 16.9 inches. The size distribution suggested several year classes were present, though the fish were not aged. A previous survey utilizing night electrofishing captured favorable numbers of bass, suggesting they are an important part of the fishery. The lake's habitat and Bluegill prey base provide good conditions for Largemouth Bass and good angling opportunities likely exist. Anglers are encouraged to release bass exceeding 15 inches to maintain quality angling opportunities.

Other species sampled in the survey included Bowfin, Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass and Yellow Perch.

What is the average air temp for Hart Lake?

Are there any state parks near Hart Lake?