Lake Phalen Fishing near Little Canada, Minnesota

• Overview

  Ramsey County, Minnesota, is where Lake Phalen sits. Land around it is mixed forest. Around 192 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 2.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Nearest town is Little Canada, 3.2 miles off. Saint Paul sits 3.7 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name.

• Where to Fish on Lake Phalen

  Surveys put the deepest water at about 104 feet. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Ramsey County, recorded fish include bluegill, common carp and black crappie. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Take Lake Phalen a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 74°F in July and bottoms out near 13°F in January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Lake Phalen by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. For a change of water, Frost Lake is 0.6 miles distant. For Lake Phalen in particular, ask before you travel.