Fishing Lake Hanson in Pope County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake Hanson belongs to Pope County, Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,194 feet. At about 189 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. At about 3.2 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Head to Starbuck, 10 miles away, for anything you forgot. Minneapolis sits 110 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Hanson

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Pope County include largemouth bass, common carp, northern pike and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Lake Hanson before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 10°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late November in an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Lake Hanson follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Hoff Lake is 1.9 miles distant. Check the position on Lake Hanson before loading the car.