Wells Lake near Faribault: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Within Rice County, Minnesota, you have Wells Lake. This is mixed forest country. At 3.4 sq miles this is proper open water rather than a pond. Of the waters listed here in Rice County, this is the largest. Some 3.7 miles away sits Faribault, the nearest settlement. It is 47 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Wells Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name common carp, bluegill, largemouth bass, black bullhead and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Wells Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 12°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Wells Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Cannon Lake, 1.6 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Wells Lake.