Hiawatha Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 27001800
Hiawatha Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Hiawatha Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 33 ft; surface area 53 acres, 25 littoral acres, 1.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Hennepin County, nearest town Minneapolis; DNR lake number (DOW) 27001800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 5/13/1958 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| O | city | - CITY PARK; PUBLIC GOLF COURSE SURROUND LAKE. POSSIBLE TO ACCESS ON PARK GROUNDS ON E. SHORE S. OF SWIM BEACH |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 39.67 | 119 | 0.26 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 13.33 | 40 | 0.12 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.33 | 28 | 2.06 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 15 | 0.17 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 10 | 1.06 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 4 | 0.12 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 3 | 2.11 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 2 | 3.11 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 9.33 | 84 | 0.12 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 8.11 | 73 | 0.26 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.56 | 32 | 0.05 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 3.33 | 30 | 0.24 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 0.13 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.32 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 3.20 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.29 |
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.
Hiawatha is small, 53-acre lake, located in South Minneapolis. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 33 feet, and about half the lake is 15 feet deep or less. Minnehaha Creek flows through Lake Hiawatha, with the steam's inflow and out flow along the southern shore of the lake. Minneapolis city park land surrounds the lake, and the shoreline is undeveloped. Minneapolis City Parks maintains one fishing pier, and one public beach on Lake Hiawatha. No boat ramp is present. There are no gas motors allowed on Lake Hiawatha, per city ordinance, however the lake is popular with canoers and kayakers. A Standard Survey was conducted during the summer of 2025 to monitor the gamefish populations In 2025, the gamefish community was composed of Northern Pike, Bluegill, and Black Crappie. Common Carp are also abundant in the lake, and provide an alternative recreational fishery, which many anglers enjoy on Hiawatha. Good numbers of Northern Pike were present in the 2025 survey, and the fish tended to be small-to-medium-sized. Northern Pike ranged in length from 16.1 to 27.8 inches, with an average size of 21.1 inches and 2.06 pounds. With 64% of the catch being smaller than 22 inches, Hiawatha could be a good spot for anglers who are interested in harvest. Since 2018, anglers in this management zone can keep up to 10 Northern Pike. Only 2 fish over 26 inches are allowed, and all between 22 and 26 inches must be released. Bluegill and Black Crappie were present in about average numbers for this type of lake. Both species of fish tended to be on the small side, however a few larger Black Crappie were sampled. While only 27% of the Black Crappie exceeded 8 inches, the largest fish measured 11.0 inches in length. Only 1 Bluegill out of the 84 fish sampled by trap net exceeded 7 inches. Although the panfish tend to mostly be smaller in size, their abundance could make for good action while enjoying a day on the fishing pier. Common Carp were sampled in about average numbers for this type of lake, and a range of sizes of fish were present in the 2025 sample. Carp ranged from 13.6 to 24.0 inches, with an average size of 18.3 inches and 2.85 pounds. Carp fishing is popular among local residents, as the fish are fun and easy to catch, and take the bait of canned corn, which is cheap and easy to buy. Interestingly, three Walleye were sampled in the 2025 survey. The fish are not stocked in the lake and likely moved into Hiawatha via Minnehaha Creek, which drains from Lake Minnetonka and the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. Walleye are stocked in those water bodies. The three fish…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
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.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.