Parley Lake Fishing near Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota

• Overview

  Parley Lake belongs to Hennepin County, Minnesota. It stands 912 feet above sea level. It measures some 253 acres, and wind has room to build across it. With 3.2 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Hennepin County list it sits near the top for size. The nearest place of any size is Saint Bonifacius, 1.8 miles away. After that come Waconia at 3.5 miles and Victoria at 3.8 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Parley Lake

  Sounding records show water to about 21 feet. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Hennepin County include bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Parley Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 11°F in January and 72°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. The season between ice runs from about early April to late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Parley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Mud Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. For Parley Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.