Orchard Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Dakota County, Minnesota, is where Orchard Lake sits. This is pine and birch ground. Around 230 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 2.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Few waters listed in Dakota County are bigger. Supplies mean a trip to Lakeville, 4.8 miles off. It is 19 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Orchard Lake

  Depth records show about 38 feet at the bottom of the basin. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Dakota County names bluegill, common carp and green sunfish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Work Orchard Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 72°F in July and bottoms out near 12°F in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Orchard Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Krenz Lake, 0.6 miles away. Signs at Orchard Lake carry more weight than any list.