Barnes Lake Fishing in Carver County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Barnes Lake in Carver County, Minnesota. It stands 951 feet above sea level. The water covers some 159 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 2.4 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Head to Young America (historical), 1.1 miles away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Minneapolis is 34 miles off. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Barnes Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Carver County include bluegill, largemouth bass and common carp. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Barnes Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 11°F to 72°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Barnes Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Young America Lake is 0.7 miles off. Treat Barnes Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.