Hagen Lake in Grant County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Grant County, Minnesota, this is Hagen Lake. The water sits 1,175 feet up. The water covers some 28 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. On size it sits at the modest end of our Grant County list. Some 7.9 miles away sits Elbow Lake, the nearest settlement. After that come Fergus Falls at 15 miles and Parkers Prairie at 29 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hagen Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Grant County include common carp, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Hagen Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 7°F to 70°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hagen Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Briggs Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Hagen Lake is worth confirming on the day.