Fishing Pickerel Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Pickerel Lake is a Dakota County water, in Minnesota. The bank gives way to mixed forest. With some 120 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Roughly 1.7 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. On our Dakota County list it sits near the top for size. West Saint Paul sits 0.9 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Saint Paul is 2.3 miles and Mendota Heights 2.5 miles.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Dakota County include bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, black crappie and black bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Pickerel Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 13°F in January to roughly 74°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Pickerel Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Check the position at Pickerel Lake before loading the car.