Fishing First Lake in Washington County, Minnesota

• Overview

  First Lake is a Washington County water, Minnesota side. What surrounds it is mixed forest. Surface area is around 52 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. For supplies, Scandia is 3.5 miles out. Osceola is 5.7 miles and Chisago City 6 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on First Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Washington County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout, northern pike and black crappie. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish First Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 11°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That shapes the year on First Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Second Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For First Lake in particular, ask before you travel.