Fishing Lake O' the Dalles in Chisago County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake O' the Dalles is a Chisago County water, in Minnesota. The surface lies 679 feet up. It runs to roughly 25 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The nearest town is Taylors Falls, 0.6 miles away. The big place round here is Saint Paul, 38 miles distant. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lake O' the Dalles

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Chisago County records list largemouth bass, common carp and bluegill among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Lake O' the Dalles the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 11°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. On average, early April opens the water and late November closes it again. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Lake O' the Dalles.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Interstate Park covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For Lake O' the Dalles in particular, ask before you travel.