Fishing at Penn Lake, Hennepin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Penn Lake stands in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. At about 33 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 0.8 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It is low-lying compared with other Minnesota water we list. Bloomington is the closest town at 0.5 miles. For a city, Minneapolis is 9.3 miles off. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Penn Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Hennepin County list bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Penn Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 13°F to 73°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Penn Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Barthels Pond at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Penn Lake.