Fishing at McCarrons Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds McCarrons Lake, in Ramsey County. It lies 830 feet above sea level. With some 73 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 1.4 miles of margin, front to back. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. Start from Roseville, 2.2 miles down the road. It is 3.7 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on McCarrons Lake

  Measured depth reaches about 65 feet at the deepest point. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name bluegill, common carp and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. McCarrons Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 74°F and January near 13°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to McCarrons Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lake Como at 1.9 miles is the sensible second choice.