Rochester MN ponds?

[fayegarnett]

Just moved to Rochester from Buffalo NY. Man do I miss the fishing in Buffalo. Still struggling to find a good local pond to fish. I only shore fish cuz I don't have kayak or boat. Been fishing in Foster Arend Park cuz I live real close. But the bulk of the pond is hard to cast from the bank and the fish I've been catching so far are small ones. The biggest I've caught was 2lb. Heard Silver Lake was good, but still could not find a good spot accessible from the bank. It seems that there are a lot of ponds in the city, but they are either private or without good accessible shorelines. I've also heard Chester Woods Park and Game Haven, haven't tried them out yet. Another body from here have so good urban ponds? Really appreciate it!!!

[IamNewbie]

In MN it really seems like we have to travel to find Ponds to fish. I know where I live we have a TON of ponds but they're fishless. My GF told me about a pond in town that does actually have fish, but what she described to me sounded really small, and that they were just Sunnies. But perhaps, there's more in there. But if there is, it's super hard to get to since it's smack dab in the middle of steep inclines and a bunch of Cat tails and weeds surround it. Also no where to really park your car besides local business parking lots.

I think you're gonna have better luck heading out of City Limits. I know where I'm at there's a chain of lakes that produce PHENOMONAL bass. I COULD walk to them if I wanted to, but it would take about 2 hours, plus when I get there I'd be another 15 minutes to get to the lake lol. Driving takes only about 15 minutes.

[FluffChucker]

Give Cascade Lake & Creek a try. Plenty of carp, bass and panfish to keep a guy busy for hours.

Just keep your eyes open for Wild Parsnip that lines the banks of the creek.

 

Another option, while not in the city of Rochester, would be to drive 40 minutes over the Mississippi River and fish some of those areas. Places around the dams and spillways, many backwaters, and places like Prairie Island in Winona are all very popular shore fishing areas.

 

Also, Rochester is a real trout-friendly area. That's as shore fishing friendly as it gets. Head down to Trout Run or Whitewater state park for an afternoon of fun fishing, preferably when the water temps are a bit lower (and the fish are a little more eager). Bring a mepps spinner or a floating rap, and go to town. It's also a good opportunity to pick up fly fishing, if you ever get the desire. Those trout creeks are a GREAT way to cool down on a warm afternoon, and this time of year you won't need expensive waders. Just a pair of pants and some old sneakers and start hiking. I spent thousands of hours on the creeks of SW WI and SE MN (more on the SE MN side) and can tell you that some of my most memorable days of fishing ever, came on some of those small streams.

Here's a link to the trout maps that the DNR has online. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/trout_streams/south_mn_maps.html

Remember to pay attention to where the angling easements are, or ask permission if your not sure. In Minnesota I can tell you that I was never once turned away by a landowner if I first asked permission to fish their property. Landowners always seemed genuinely shocked and pleased that someone respected their property enough to take a few minutes to say hello and ask permission. Sometimes you'll even get a few tips as to where some of the better 'holes' are on the creek, or where their bulls are so you know where NOT to go.