Fishing Gifford Lake in Scott County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Scott County, Minnesota, sits Gifford Lake. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. The water covers some 89 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 2.7 miles in total. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Head to Carver, 1.2 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 22 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Gifford Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Scott County include bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Gifford Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 72°F and January about 11°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Gifford Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Mapping marks a fishing place roughly half a mile off. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Chaska Lake is 0.9 miles distant. The position on Gifford Lake is worth confirming on the day.