Dead Slough Lake Fishing in Goodhue County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Dead Slough Lake in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The ground around here is rolling bush. About 720 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Among the waters listed for Goodhue County, none is wider. Head to Red Wing, 1.6 miles away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Ellsworth at 11 miles and Goodhue at 13 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Dead Slough Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Goodhue County, recorded fish include common carp, brown trout, rainbow trout and white bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Dead Slough Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 72°F and January near 13°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. The open-water window runs from around early April to about early December in an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Dead Slough Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Colvill Bay, 0.6 miles away. Treat Dead Slough Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.