Fishing Temperance Lake in Martin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Temperance Lake in Martin County, Minnesota. It sits in rolling bush. At about 153 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.9 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Some 0.8 miles away sits Sherburn, the nearest settlement. Sioux Falls is the closest city, 101 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Temperance Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Martin County include common carp, yellow perch, black bullhead and black crappie. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Temperance Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 13°F in January to roughly 72°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Temperance Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A carry of 0.9 miles from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Fox Lake at 1.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Temperance Lake are worth checking on the day.