Fishing Marion Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Marion Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota. The bank is 971 feet above sea level. The water covers around 383 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The margin runs to about 4.9 miles in total. It is among the larger waters listed here for Dakota County. For supplies, Lakeville is 2.1 miles out. The big place round here is Saint Paul, 22 miles distant. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Marion Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Dakota County cover bluegill, common carp, green sunfish and black crappie. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Marion Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 12°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Marion Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Orchard Lake, 2.9 miles away. For Marion Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.