Fishing at Asp Lake, Chisago County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Asp Lake lies within the bounds of Chisago County, Minnesota. The water sits 919 feet up. At roughly 21 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Chisago County list. Cambridge sits 6.2 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 43 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Asp Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Chisago County list largemouth bass, common carp, bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Asp Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 70°F, with January the cold end at about 9°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. The season between ice runs from about early April to late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Asp Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Robour Lake sits 1 mile off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Asp Lake before loading the car.