French Lake Fishing near Rogers, Minnesota

• Overview

  French Lake sits in Hennepin County, out in Minnesota. Everything around it is mixed forest. Surface area is around 218 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Around 2.3 miles of margin, front to back. On our Hennepin County list it sits near the top for size. Supplies mean a trip to Rogers, 2.4 miles off. It is 18 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on French Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Hennepin County list bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat French Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 72°F; the cold one sits at 11°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on French Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Grass Lake, 1.1 miles away. For French Lake in particular, ask before you travel.