Hayes Lake
Roseau County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 68000400
Hayes Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Hayes Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 28 ft, mean depth 10 ft; surface area 182 acres, 127 littoral acres, 6.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Roseau County, nearest town Wannaska; DNR lake number (DOW) 68000400.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| asphalt ramp | Minnesota DNR | Need state park pass to access |
| CA | Minnesota DNR | Canoe Carry-in access |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard electrofishing | 27.88 | 52 | 0.13 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 8.58 | 16 | 1.56 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 5.06 | 81 | 0.33 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 3.19 | 51 | 0.25 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 7 | 1.18 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 2 | 0.15 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 2 | 2.40 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 2 | 0.15 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.06 | 1 | 1.52 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.89 | 26 | 2.52 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 15 | 0.47 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.25 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 2.76 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.09 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.11 | 1 | 4.30 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Hayes Lake is a 180-acre impoundment on the south branch of the Roseau River, located entirely within Hayes Lake State Park, 18 miles southeast of Roseau, MN. The lakeshore is undeveloped and provides ample fishing opportunities to anglers off its many small bays and points. The state park provides several amenities including a swimming beach, fish cleaning building, campsites, two fishing piers, a concrete boat ramp, and canoe and small boat rentals. Carry-in canoe access is located near the campground and rentals can be arranged through the park office. No gas-powered motors are allowed on Hayes Lake and boaters must utilize a paddle or electric motor to navigate the lake. A Minnesota state park pass is needed to access Hayes Lake, but a fishing license is no longer required to fish the lake. All other statewide fishing regulations for inland waters apply. Hayes Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet and stratifies during the warm summer months. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass, with Bluegill managed as a secondary species. Winterkill events have been reduced through the installation of a hypolimnetic draw-down tube in the dam structure in the 1980s and has allowed the fish communities to sustain themselves through natural reproduction. In addition to the lake itself, a quality fishery exists in the Roseau River below the Hayes Lake dam. Largemouth Bass night electrofishing catch rates have varied from 8 fish/hour to 19 fish/hour since 1996. In 2024, catch rates were 8.5 fish/hour with fish ranging from 6 to 19.7 inches with an average of 13.5 inches. Sixty-six percent of the population of Largemouth Bass sampled in 2024 that were longer than 8 inches were also longer than 12 inches. The Largemouth Bass population in Hayes Lake is healthy and consists of fewer but larger fish. To protect the larger size structure in the lake, catch and release practices are encouraged for Largemouth Bass in Hayes Lake. Bluegill in Hayes Lake are lower in abundance but consists of larger individuals. Spring trap nets in 2024 averaged 5 fish per net, had a size range of 1.5 to 10.4 inches, and the average length of caught Bluegills was 6.6 inches. To protect the quality size of Bluegills in Hayes Lake, selective harvest is encouraged. Northern Pike are another popular game fish in Hayes Lake. Northern Pike are abundant in Hayes Lake with sampled fish ranging from 11 to 33 inches in 2024 with an average length of 23.2 inches. Hayes Lake has a healthy Northern Pike population and should continue to provide anglers with a great fishing opportunity. Other…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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