Norris Lake in Anoka County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Norris Lake sits within Anoka County in Minnesota. The surroundings are rolling bush. At about 52 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 1.2 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is low-lying compared with other Minnesota water we list. Saint Francis at 1.6 miles is the nearest place to stop. Minneapolis is the closest city, 28 miles away. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Norris Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Anoka County: bluegill, common carp, black crappie, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The shape of Norris Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 71°F in July and bottoms out near 11°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. On Norris Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Mud Lake, 0.7 miles out. Confirm before you fish Norris Lake.