Living on Lower Hay Lake
Lower Hay is the clearest lake on the Whitefish Chain, deep and compact at the chain's southwest corner, with loons on the water and the rest of the chain through one channel.
A clear, deep lake at the edge of the chain
Lower Hay Lake covers 700 acres, with 4.44 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 100 feet. Only about 21 percent of it is 15 feet or shallower. The DNR places it at the southwest end of the Whitefish Chain, about four miles northeast of the town of Pequot Lakes.
The first thing most people notice is the water. Lower Hay has the clearest water on the chain. On a calm day you can look down from the dock and see the sand and gravel shoal, the edge of the weeds, and the place where the bottom falls away into blue.
If you are picturing that view from your own dock, the buyer page explains how I help. Owners can request a private valuation.
Shoreline character
The DNR describes Lower Hay's shoals as primarily hard sand and gravel. That is the kind of bottom most lake owners hope for: firm underfoot, good for swimming, and friendly to a dock and lift.
Because the lake is deep and steep, the shallow shelf is narrow on much of the shore. Water depth off the end of a dock can change quickly from one lot to the next, and it is worth measuring rather than guessing.
Lower Hay also looks different from many lakes on the chain at the waterline. The DNR's 2011 survey found no beds of bulrush, cattail or water lilies, and its 2012 lakeshore report noted that Lower Hay had few such beds. What grows here grows underwater: coontail, naiads, northern watermilfoil, pondweeds and muskgrass. No non-native aquatic plants were found in the 2011 survey.
The shoreline itself is mostly private and well developed with homes, according to the DNR. This is a settled lake, not a wilderness one.
The loons
When the DNR surveyed the whole Whitefish Chain for its 2012 sensitive lakeshore report, common loons were seen at more than 40 percent of survey stations on Lower Hay, the highest share of any lake on the chain. Evening calls across clear water are a big part of living here.
Boating routes on the chain
Lower Hay is the chain's lake with a story. The DNR notes that it was not originally connected to the other lakes. Today a navigable channel on its east side links it to Whitefish Lake, and from there the other lakes of the chain are open to explore. Hay Creek flows into Lower Hay from Upper Hay Lake.
The chain's channels are slow-no-wake zones and can be narrow and shallow. Boaters entering Lower Hay late in the season have found the sandbars near the channel the hard way, so go slowly and watch the depth finder. On the lake itself, there is enough open water for a good pontoon ride, waterskiing on a calm morning and a long swim.
Nearest town services
Lower Hay is closest to Pequot Lakes, which is where many owners do their everyday shopping, and the DNR public access on the south end is the launch most convenient from that side. Crosslake and Pine River are also within reach, and Brainerd is the regional center for larger shopping and medical care.
The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway, a 54-mile route that loops between Pequot Lakes and Crosslake, runs through this lake country, and the Paul Bunyan State Trail offers 70 miles of paved trail for biking.
Quiet or busy?
Lower Hay is a developed lake with homes along most of its shore, and summer weekends bring boats and swimmers. Its position at the southwest end of the chain, reached by one channel, keeps it off the main through-routes that carry boat traffic between the larger lakes. Weekday mornings and the weeks after Labor Day can be very quiet.
Every lake changes with the season, the wind and the day of the week. Visit at different times before you decide.
Questions
How clear is Lower Hay Lake?
Lower Hay has the clearest water on the Whitefish Chain. The DNR rates it as mesotrophic, a middle level of fertility.
How deep is Lower Hay Lake?
Lower Hay reaches 100 feet at its deepest, and only about 21 percent of the lake is 15 feet or shallower.
Which town is closest to Lower Hay Lake?
Pequot Lakes is the nearest town, about four miles to the southwest. Crosslake and Pine River are also nearby.
Keep reading: buying a home on Lower Hay Lake, the Lower Hay fishing guide, the Lower Hay Lake guide, and nearby guides for Upper Whitefish and Lower Whitefish. Compare every lake on the lake guides page.
I am David Olson, a broker with 20+ years of experience and a 4th-generation builder, with a family cabin on the Whitefish Chain in Crosslake. If Lower Hay is on your list, call or text 218.513.2677 or email david@whitefishpropertyfinder.com.
Sources: MN DNR, Lower Hay Lake aquatic vegetation report (2011); MN DNR, Lower Hay Lake aquatic plant survey (1995); MN DNR, Sensitive Lakeshore Survey, Whitefish Chain (2012); Explore Minnesota, Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway.