Fishing at Staring Lake, Hennepin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Staring Lake lies in Hennepin County, in Minnesota. This is pine and birch ground. It runs to roughly 157 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The full circuit measures close to 1.8 miles on foot. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Eden Prairie is the closest town at 1.4 miles. Then Chanhassen, 4.1 miles, and Shakopee, 4.5 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Staring Lake

  The basin has been measured to about 18 feet. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Hennepin County include bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Anyone new to Staring Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 12°F to 73°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It holds true on Staring Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. McCoy Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Staring Lake before loading the car.