Lake Marion in Hennepin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Marion is set in Hennepin County, Minnesota. It lies 922 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 13 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Hennepin County list. Head to Deephaven, 1.2 miles away, for anything you forgot. Wayzata is 1.9 miles and Minnetonka 2.4 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lake Marion

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Hennepin County cover bluegill, common carp and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Lake Marion decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 72°F, the coldest about 12°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lake Marion runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lake Louise sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. For Lake Marion in particular, ask before you travel.