Tamarack Lake in Anoka County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Anoka County entry here is Tamarack Lake, in Minnesota. This is mixed forest country. Roughly 87 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.7 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It lies lower than most water we list in Minnesota. Wyoming lies 4.8 miles from the water. Then Stacy, 4.9 miles, and East Bethel, 7 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Tamarack Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name bluegill, common carp and black crappie. The county list is broader than any single water. Take Tamarack Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 11°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about late November in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Tamarack Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Island Lake is 0.8 miles off. For Tamarack Lake in particular, ask before you travel.