Fishing at Otter Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Ramsey County entry here is Otter Lake, in Minnesota. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. Roughly 304 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. A shoreline of some 3.0 miles keeps the choices simple. Size puts it in the front rank of our Ramsey County list. You are 2.4 miles from North Oaks. The nearest city of size is Saint Paul, 12 miles away. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Otter Lake

  Measured depth reaches about 24 feet at the deepest point. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Ramsey County, recorded fish include bluegill, common carp and black crappie. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Otter Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 72°F; the cold one sits at 12°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Otter Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Failing this one, try Amelia Lake, 0.8 miles away. Where Otter Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.