Coon Lake in Anoka County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Coon Lake is one of the Anoka County listings for Minnesota. It sits at 886 feet above sea level. Roughly 2.4 sq miles of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 14 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. It is the biggest water on our Anoka County list. East Bethel at 2 miles is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 23 miles distant. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Coon Lake

  The basin has been measured to about 31 feet. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Anoka County cover bluegill, common carp and black crappie. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Coon Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 11°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Coon Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. There are toilets half a mile off. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Goose Lake is 1.4 miles off. Rules at Coon Lake are worth checking on the day.