Fishing at Gerhardt Lake, Dakota County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Gerhardt Lake is one of the Dakota County listings for Minnesota. Height above sea level is 922 feet. The water measures roughly 13 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Dakota County. The town to know is Eagan, 2.1 miles out. The big place round here is Saint Paul, 12 miles distant. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Gerhardt Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Dakota County include bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, black crappie and black bullhead. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Gerhardt Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 13°F in January and 73°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Gerhardt Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. Overnight stays are possible 150 yards away. Facilities run to toilets 90 yards from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Jensen Lake at 1.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Gerhardt Lake before loading the car.