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Minnesota › Becker County › Savannah › Hernando DeSoto Lake

Hernando DeSoto Lake

Savannah, Minnesota — Becker County.

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111Surface acres
0.9 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 47730673).

Location & fast facts

Where Hernando DeSoto Lake is in Minnesota

The red circle marks Hernando DeSoto Lake.

Fast facts

About Hernando DeSoto Lake

  • County: Becker
  • Town: Savannah
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 177 mi from Minneapolis and 149 mi from Duluth, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Minnesota

Official Minnesota DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Walking. 0.9 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 11 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official lake survey (Minnesota DNR)

22 ftMaximum depth
171Acres (state figure)

Shallow (littoral) area: 104 of 171 acres

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder record for Hernando DeSoto Lake (DOW 03003200), with lake survey reports, depth maps and stocking history. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Hernando DeSoto Lake shoreline

¼ mileN

No public access sites are listed for this water in the Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons) data.

Shoreline trail

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 47730673), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.9 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 25%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North and east shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.9 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Hernando DeSoto Lake shoreline, mostly along the north and east shores.

Trails along the shore

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Hernando DeSoto Lake

We found 11 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Hernando DeSoto Lake, 2 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

5 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Minnesota

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (47.1455, -95.2194). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Hernando DeSoto Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Hernando DeSoto Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Hernando DeSoto Lake

    How big is Hernando DeSoto Lake?

    Hernando DeSoto Lake covers about 111 acres in Savannah, Minnesota (Becker County).

    How deep is Hernando DeSoto Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 22 feet, according to the Minnesota DNR LakeFinder.

    Are there campgrounds near Hernando DeSoto Lake?

    Yes. We list 11 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 2 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Hernando DeSoto Lake?

    Hernando DeSoto Lake touches Savannah in Becker County, Minnesota.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Hernando DeSoto Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Minnesota lakes & ponds · All waters in Savannah