Larsen Slough in Sherburne County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Sherburne County, Larsen Slough is a Minnesota water. The bank gives way to rolling bush. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Sherburne County list. For a base, Zimmerman sits 4.2 miles out. Minneapolis sits 35 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Larsen Slough

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Sherburne County: bluegill, northern pike and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Treat Larsen Slough as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 71°F in July and bottoms out near 11°F in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Larsen Slough fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Sand Dunes State Forest covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lake Ann at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Larsen Slough if anything is unclear.