Cynthia Lake near Prior Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Scott County, Cynthia Lake is a Minnesota water. The water sits 922 feet up. It runs to roughly 190 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 2.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Scott County. The nearest town is Prior Lake, 6.2 miles away. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 26 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cynthia Lake

  Surveys put the deepest water at about 11 feet. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Scott County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Cynthia Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 11°F in January and 71°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Expect Cynthia Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Fish Lake at 1.6 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Cynthia Lake may have changed since it was mapped.