Smallmouth @ Phalen lake in St Paul?

[IBFishin2]

So I got off work @ 7pm and got to the lake about 7:30ish and noticed a rather decent size fish dead floating by the launch. I thought nothing of it but a dead carp and proceeded to fish hoping to catch a bass. Soon after i realized that I had forgotten my tackle bag because I was such in a rush and headed back to shore. I trolled by the dead fish and to my surprise it was a 4-5+ pounder smallmouth bass. I took 3 pictures of the fish and left after I was done fishing and will try to post it up. I'm pretty sure it's a smallmouth bass and was curious if anyone knew that there were smallies in Phalen? I also found a pretty big dead whitebass there too. It died because it couldn't swallow the sunny that was still stuck in the mouth. I would say it was somewhere 16-18 inch.

Outh

[EBass]

No smallies per the last DNR assessment.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/showreport.html?downum=62001300

[Presco]

I have no clue on Phalen, but the DNR will tell you that bass are fantastic at avoiding nets and electro fishing. I talked to a DNR guy last year about joining them for an electro fishing outing. Side note: they said they let volunteers come all the time, so I am on the list for the next time they come near me. How awesome does that sound, getting to zap the water and see what floats up.

Anyway, I was asking about a lake in the extreme southwest metro that has been a decent smallie lake the last few seasons. He told me they'd tested it 4-5 times without catching one, then two years ago, they caught 3 nice ones (17"+). Then nothing again this past year. So, don't let the DNR surveys be your only judge, bass (especially smallmouth) are like underwater ninjas when it comes to testing according to the West Metro DNR fisheries guy.

[Phantasy_Fishing]

I have fished Lake Phalen for many years now and have never caught or seen a smallmouth bass there. It might be possible that a few smallies are present because I also saw a dead white bass at Lake Phalen.

[goblueM]

i'd be skeptical, but there's no telling what the bucket brigade has personally stocked in any lake, especially in the metro

[IBFishin2]

Not sure how to post up pictures but if anyone is willing I'd be happy to send you the pictures and you can help post it up.

[Ray Esboldt]

OK. I don't know this for sure, so someone can call me out on it. But, that culvert on the southeast end alledgidly leads to the Mississippi. What doesn't? So, I suppose it is possible that a couple have made the run up, but likely it is due to unofficial stocking or some accidental fry mixed in with walleye batch.

[IBFishin2]

Could be but that smallie was huge for a metro lake.

[Ctrl_Alt_Dlt]

never seen a smallie there. Could be that someone didnt want it and threw it away there.

[Craigums]

send me the pic, ill post it

[ricqik]

So I got off work @ 7pm and got to the lake about 7:30ish and noticed a rather decent size fish dead floating by the launch. I thought nothing of it but a dead carp and proceeded to fish hoping to catch a bass. Soon after i realized that I had forgotten my tackle bag because I was such in a rush and headed back to shore. I trolled by the dead fish and to my surprise it was a 4-5+ pounder smallmouth bass. I took 3 pictures of the fish and left after I was done fishing and will try to post it up. I'm pretty sure it's a smallmouth bass and was curious if anyone knew that there were smallies in Phalen? I also found a pretty big dead whitebass there too. It died because it couldn't swallow the sunny that was still stuck in the mouth. I would say it was somewhere 16-18 inch.

Outh

Phalen does indeed have smallies, few n far but have caught n seen smallies on beds.