Lake Minnewashta Fishing Guide, Hennepin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Hennepin County end of Minnesota holds Lake Minnewashta. Height above sea level is 932 feet. This is sizeable water at about 658 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. At about 7.1 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Size puts it in the front rank of our Hennepin County list. Shorewood at 1.7 miles is the nearest place to stop. Tonka Bay follows at 2.1 miles, then Excelsior at 2.6 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lake Minnewashta

  The basin has been measured to about 80 feet. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Hennepin County include bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Lake Minnewashta gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 72°F and January reads 11°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Lake Minnewashta fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Being publicly held, the water is generally open for fishing. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. There are toilets half a mile off. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Lake Saint Joe, 0.7 miles away. Rules at Lake Minnewashta are worth checking on the day.