Sham Lake Fishing in Lyon County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Sham Lake is one of the Lyon County listings for Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,043 feet. Surface area is around 126 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 2.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Head to Cottonwood, 1.1 miles away, for anything you forgot. Marshall follows at 14 miles, then Granite Falls at 14 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Sham Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Lyon County records list common carp, walleye and black bullhead among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Sham Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 72°F; the cold one sits at 12°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Sham Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Sham Lake Wildlife Management Area takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Cottonwood Lake, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Sham Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.