Peterson Slough Fishing near Branch, Minnesota

• Overview

  Peterson Slough sits in Chisago County, out in Minnesota. Around the bank it is mixed forest. At about 32 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. A shoreline of some 1.1 miles keeps the choices simple. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. The town to know is Branch, 3.5 miles out. Further out sit Stacy (5 miles) and Lindstrom (5.1 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Peterson Slough

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name largemouth bass, common carp, bluegill and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Peterson Slough gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 11°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Peterson Slough runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is North Pool, 1.4 miles out. What applies at Peterson Slough may have changed since it was mapped.