DNR lake ID 29011700
Fish Hook Lake
Fish Hook Lake and its river form Park Rapids’ closest lake-and-river orientation; the county map documents lake, river, pier and access facilities.
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Northwest Minnesota · Park Rapids, forest lakes and the Heartland State Trail
Hubbard County
Hubbard County’s lake trips radiate from Park Rapids into pine-and-birch country: Fish Hook Lake and River at the city, Big Sand near Dorset, Belle Taine at Nevis and Potato Lake to the north. The Heartland State Trail ties Park Rapids, Dorset, Nevis and Akeley together, while the Mississippi headwaters at Lake Itasca anchor the county’s northwest. Start with an exact DNR lake identity, then confirm access and conditions.
Accessible orientation
Use Park Rapids and the Heartland Trail as your bearings
Park Rapids is the county seat and central service hub. The Heartland State Trail runs east through Dorset, Nevis and Akeley; Lake George and Lake Itasca orient the north and northwest. Use the official county access map and DNR lake number before choosing a launch.
- Park Rapids: begin with Fish Hook Lake, Fish Hook River and Heartland Park.
- Trail corridor: connect Dorset, Nevis and Akeley without treating nearby lakes as interchangeable.
- County edges: keep one canonical identity for waters extending into neighboring counties.
Canonical named-lake discovery
Four verified Hubbard County lake identities
These records come from the official Hubbard County Public Waters Inventory, county shoreland records and the versioned county catalog. Unnamed waters are excluded. Use official records for the newest identity and classification status.
DNR lake ID 29046600
Big Sand Lake
Big Sand Lake is a separately numbered lake near Dorset; DNR confirmed zebra mussels there in November 2025, making clean-drain-dispose steps especially important.
Continue to the lake directoryDNR lake ID 29024300
Potato Lake
Potato Lake is a named Hubbard County basin north of Park Rapids with two accesses shown on the official county access map.
Continue to the lake directoryDNR lake ID 29014600
Belle Taine Lake
Belle Taine is the named lake beside Nevis; the official access map shows DNR and city facilities, and DNR identifies it by lake number 29-146.
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Fishing, public accesses and forest trails
Build the day around one verified water
Access status, reservations, water conditions, fishing rules and trail conditions change. Confirm them with the responsible agency before travel.
Heartland Park and county beaches
Hubbard County lists Heartland Park beside the Fish Hook River in Park Rapids with a public access, fishing pier, beach, restrooms and the start of the Heartland Trail. The county also identifies beaches at Stony Lake, Garfield Lake and Paine Lake.
Check county parks and recreationHeartland State Trail
The DNR’s 49-mile multiple-use trail links Park Rapids and Cass Lake. Its paved Park Rapids–Walker segment passes Dorset, Nevis and Akeley, with a parallel natural-surface trail for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking.
Check the official trail pageHeadwaters and lake records
The Mississippi River State Water Trail begins at Lake Itasca. For individual county lakes, LakeFinder brings fisheries, access, water-quality and consumption records together by exact lake ID.
Open official LakeFinder
Check the exact lake before fishing
Use LakeFinder and the official county access map for the exact basin. Then check current fishing regulations, aquatic-invasive-species notices and Minnesota fish-consumption guidance. A familiar lake name is not enough.
Communities and seasons
Move from a town hub to a checked plan
Park Rapids is the county seat and central hub. Dorset, Nevis and Akeley line the Heartland Trail eastward; Laporte anchors the northeast, Lake George the north and Lake Itasca the northwest. Event dates change, so use only a current organizer listing before traveling.
- Spring: check land-trail surfaces, launch status and fishing-season rules after thaw.
- Summer: reserve campground space and inspect the exact public access before launching.
- Fall: pair a named lake with a checked park or land-trail plan.
- Winter: use current park and trail reports; never infer safe lake ice from a photograph.
