Fishing at Spring Banks Lake, Dakota County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Spring Banks Lake is listed under Dakota County, Minnesota. It sits at 659 feet above sea level. Small at around 11 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Dakota County are larger. Nearest place of any size is Prescott, 6.2 miles away. Beyond it, Hastings at 7.6 miles and Red Wing at 12 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Spring Banks Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Dakota County include bluegill, common carp, green sunfish and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Take Spring Banks Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 72°F, the coldest about 13°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Spring Banks Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Upper Clear Lake, 0.9 miles away. Treat Spring Banks Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.