Lake Saint Joe Fishing near Victoria, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Lake Saint Joe belongs to Hennepin County. It stands 945 feet above sea level. Small at around 17 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Some 2.2 miles away sits Victoria, the nearest settlement. It is 19 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lake Saint Joe

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name 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. At Lake Saint Joe the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 72°F and January reads 11°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lake Saint Joe.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. A picnic spot sits half a mile from the bank. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Tamarack Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Lake Saint Joe is worth confirming on the day.