Fishing at Earley Lake, Dakota County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Earley Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota. This is mixed forest ground. The water covers some 27 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 1.0 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. For a base, Burnsville sits 2.1 miles out. Then Savage, 3.4 miles, and Apple Valley, 3.9 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Earley Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Dakota County include bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, black crappie and black bullhead. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Treat Earley Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and January at 12°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about early December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Plan any trip to Earley Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Horseshoe Lake at 1.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Earley Lake should be assumed from this page alone.