Ria Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Ria Lake in the Washington County part of Minnesota. The ground round it is pine and birch. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Washington County list. You are 1.7 miles from Newport. Saint Paul is the closest city, 6.8 miles away. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Ria Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Washington County list bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Take Ria Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 72°F and January about 12°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Ria Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, La Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Ria Lake before loading the car.