Long Lake in Washington County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Long Lake is a Washington County water, in Minnesota. The water sits 945 feet up. At about 48 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 1.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It lies lower than most water we list in Minnesota. Mahtomedi at 0.5 miles is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Saint Paul, 12 miles away. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name bluegill, largemouth bass and brown trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Long Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 72°F; by January the average is down near 12°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Long Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. 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. Failing this one, try Echo Lake, 0.9 miles away. For Long Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.