Benjamin Lake Fishing near Oak Grove, Minnesota

• Overview

  Benjamin Lake sits in Anoka County, out in Minnesota. The land about it is lake country bush. About 22 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Anoka County are larger. Head to Oak Grove, 3.6 miles away, for anything you forgot. After that come Nowthen at 3.8 miles and Ramsey at 4.8 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Benjamin Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name bluegill, common carp and black crappie. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Work Benjamin Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 71°F in July and bottoms out near 11°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Benjamin Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. 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. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Rogers Lake, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Benjamin Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.