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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
44-acre lake near Otter Tail County. The lake tops out around 65 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Hanson draws 44 acres inside 1.1 miles of shoreline. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 32% of this chart, as modeled. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.2 mi across. You'll find it in Otter Tail County. The nearest mapped water is Ethel, 1 mi to the southwest.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (29 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Shoreline break (29 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (29 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Shoreline break (29 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (55 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (55 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 55 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Hanson specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Hanson is about 65 ft (20 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, brown bullhead on Hanson.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Hanson is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Ethel 1 mi · Pickerel 2 mi · Blanche 3 mi · Otter Tail Lake 3 mi · Annie Battle 4 mi · Long 4 mi · Donalds 4 mi · Molly Stark 5 mi · Portage (main bay) 5 mi · West Battle Lake 6 mi · East Battle 6 mi · Walker 6 mi
See how Hanson stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Otter Tail County fishing maps (156 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.