Lake Smetana, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Smetana is set in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The surface lies 820 feet up. At roughly 23 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The full circuit measures close to 0.9 miles on foot. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. Some 2.9 miles away sits Eden Prairie, the nearest settlement. Edina lies 3.6 miles off, Hopkins another 4.9 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lake Smetana

  Measured depth reaches about 14 feet at the deepest point. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Hennepin County cover bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fish Lake Smetana where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 73°F and January near 12°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Lake Smetana that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Lake Idlewild is 0.8 miles off.