Fishing Dickeys Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Hennepin County end of Minnesota holds Dickeys Lake. The bank is 974 feet above sea level. It covers about 10 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Hennepin County standards. Nearest place of any size is Long Lake, 0.6 miles away. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 16 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Dickeys Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. 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. County-wide records name bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Dickeys Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 72°F in July and bottoms out near 12°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Dickeys Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Wolsfeld Woods SNA covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Wolsfeld Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Dickeys Lake.