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

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.  

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.

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. 

 

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.