Saint Catherine Lake Fishing Guide, Scott County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Scott County, Minnesota, sits Saint Catherine Lake. The ground around here is lake country bush. At about 118 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. A shoreline of some 1.8 miles keeps the choices simple. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Prior Lake lies 6 miles from the water. Elko New Market follows at 6.8 miles, then New Prague at 9.1 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Saint Catherine Lake

  The basin has been measured to about 9.2 feet. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Scott County records list bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Saint Catherine Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 11°F to 71°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from early April until about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Saint Catherine Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A slipway 0.9 miles out gives trailer access. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, McMahon Lake is 1 mile distant. Ask locally about Saint Catherine Lake if anything is unclear.