Cloverdale Lake near Lake Elmo: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Cloverdale Lake, in Washington County. What surrounds it is mixed forest. At about 41 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. You are 2.1 miles from Lake Elmo. Saint Paul is the closest city, 13 miles away. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Cloverdale Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Washington County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Cloverdale Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 72°F and January near 12°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about early April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Cloverdale Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. McDonald Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Cloverdale Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.