Upper and lower Prior Lake MN

[walt-14]

Can anyone tell me about these lakes when it comes to bass fishing? In particular, if there is good access from shore? I asked in a different thread about the Minneapolis area but these lakes weren’t brought up.  Any info would be awesome! Thanks in advance

[FryDog62]

I don’t have a lot of first hand knowledge... but I’m not convinced Prior is a great lake for size of fish.  Don’t get me wrong, a lot of people fish it and it holds tournaments so I know there are fish.  Put it this way, a friend of mine I fish with a lot lives 10 minutes from Prior and never fishes it.

 

Don’t want to rain on your parade and maybe someone else with better first hand knowledge will chime in, but I think you’d find lakes with better quality as you go towards Shakopee, Eden Prairie, etc.  

 

I think there is a good fishing dock on Lake Susan in Chanhassen with big bass and it’s catch/release only. I don’t think they allow motorized boats, and if I had a kayak/canoe that’s where I’d go.  

[MN Fisher]

30 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

I think there is a good fishing dock on Lake Susan in Chanhassen with big bass and it’s catch/release only. I don’t think they allow motorized boats, and if I had a kayak/canoe that’s where I’d go.

Not much further west of there is Lake Auburn in the Carver Park Reserve...state record Largemouth at 8#15oz was caught there back in 2005, and a Fishidy report has an 8#5oz being caught in 2017...so it has some big ones.

[OperationEagle]

You will also see by the DNR lake survey that there is not an over abundance of large fish.

 

My first hand experience fishing this lake a number of times a few years ago confirms it.

 

i have caught fish greater than 18 inches there but very few and afar between. So many lakes other lakes to choose from. 

 

[walt-14]

How is the shore access at both Lake Susan and Lake Auburn? I don’t have a kayak or canoe so shore access is going to play a big role in not only where I choose to go but where it’s even possible for me to go.