Lake Washington Fishing Guide, Washington County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Washington County, Lake Washington is a Minnesota water. Height above sea level is 925 feet. It covers about 10 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Washington County list. For supplies, Birchwood is 1.2 miles out. Saint Paul sits 9.9 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lake Washington

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Washington County include bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout, northern pike and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Lake Washington repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 72°F; by January the average is down near 12°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. The open-water window runs from around early April to about early December in an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Time your trip to Lake Washington by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lost Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Lake Washington is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.