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Hasse Lake is fire! If you’ve been a follower of the local fishing community you likely know that for years Hasse Lake has been the running joke. Whether it was a trout, perch, pike or walleye, every time someone caught a nice fish it was caught at Hasse.
Thanks to the ACA, the online community is going to have to find another lake to pick on because Hasse Lake has been reborn! Over the course of 2020, Hasse was stocked a number of times with both rainbow and tiger trout. ACA even threw in some brood rainbows that were over 15” long. In the fall of 2020 an aeration system was installed to ensure that the newly stocked trout could thrive in the winter as well. To see how the trout were doing in their new home, I decided to check it out for myself.
At only 45 minutes from my house, Hasse Lake is an easy day trip. Having a stocked fishery so close to urban centers makes it ideal for families (and for when I feel lazy) to get outside and enjoy some nature and trout fishing. This day was a cold one, -35°C with wind chill, so I layered up and packed my big Otter Hub and Buddy Heater along for the ride. We’ve had ideal conditions for making ice this year and I’ve been able to drive on to many lakes in the area. I took that fact for granted when I packed up to go to Hasse lake and left my sled behind. This decision was definitely a mistake and I was forced to carry my auger, rods and flasher out by hand – leaving the tent and heater behind.
We walked out less than 100 yards before I decided to cut a hole and check the depth. I dropped my fish finder in to find 7ft of water and marked a fish almost instantly. I was pretty relieved I wouldn’t have to walk any farther! Although the trout were active, we found the bite to be tough. I went through a few different presentations before I caught my first fish. Finding fish is one thing, but during the mid-winter slump getting them to bite is often the challenge.
After repeatedly wetting and freezing my hands on a few trout, I had enough. It was time to pack up and get warm! I will definitely be back to Hasse Lake this spring. The aeration system should mean that Hasse will be one of the first lakes in the area to have open water – and open water means kayak fishing!
I used to fish hasse as a kid all the time. Great to hear it’s back it’s former glory!
You’re right, it sure is great to see lakes being restored instead of dying off! Thanks for the comment Nicholas.