Fishing Courthouse Lake in Carver County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Courthouse Lake is one of the Carver County listings for Minnesota. The surface lies 696 feet up. At 11 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Carver County list. You are 0.6 miles from Chaska. For a city, Minneapolis is 21 miles off. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Courthouse Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Carver County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass, common carp, black crappie and pumpkinseed. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Courthouse Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 11°F in January to roughly 72°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Courthouse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. A jetty or pier is mapped about 110 yards from here. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Firemans Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Courthouse Lake is worth confirming on the day.