Fishing at Tanners Lake, Washington County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Washington County end of Minnesota holds Tanners Lake. The setting is lake country bush. With some 69 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 1.7 miles, and most of it is walkable. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. The closest town, Maplewood, is 0.7 miles distant. Oakdale is 1.1 miles and Woodbury 2.2 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Tanners Lake

  Sounding records show water to about 52 feet. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Washington County include bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Tanners Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 12°F to 72°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That shapes the year on Tanners Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A boat ramp sits 150 yards away, so trailered boats can get on. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. A toilet block sits half a mile away. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Battle Creek Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Tanners Lake as something to verify.