Good local canoe/kayak fishing lakes

[Standard]

While I'm not looking for everyone to give up their favorite hot spot (although I do only c&r fishing, cleaning fish is too much work ), I'm wondering what are some good metro area lakes that are well suited to non-motorized forms of fishing. Lakes with HP limits or just a low number of crazy boaters zooming around throwing up huge wakes.

I've tried Bush lake here in Eden Prairie, and the ceder/calhoun/harriet chain also. Always on the search for new water to fish, though.

Thanks!

[Cyberfish]

I know a few...email:

[email protected]

[Powerstroke]

Good lakes in Eden Prairie would include Red Rock and Mitchell. Numbers are good, size is decent. If you're C&R you'll spend all day out here.

I'm also interested in some of these lakes. I spend more time canoeing thatn fishing, but its always fun to wet a line.

[Cyberfish]

Is there still some fish in Mitchell? I saw there was a pretty bad winterkill this year there.

[Powerstroke]

Mitchell should definately be on the rebound. One of my fire fighter friends lives on the lake and I asked about the winterkill. He said he had plenty of dead fish on his shoreline, but he said there are countless spawning beds around his dock and shoreline. He said he saw a bass that appeared well over 20"......of course you know water distorts things a bit.

[Cyberfish]

Good to know that some bass survived and are working on repopulating the lake! Thanks for the update

[omni]

Not to hijack this thread but does anyone have any recommendation for the Shoreview area for a canoe fisher? I found a decent spot off the public access at Owasso and Johanna but man I get waved out big time by the skiers/jetskiers/PA traffic.

Wabasso was perfect, except there isn't any fish in that lake besides tiny sunnies. A few locals told me that northerns infested the deep middle, but I try and stay away from them slime balls. Kinda hard to troll...when...paddling...

Got some bass in Owasso, 2 14" walleyes in johanna, but the waves...oh the waves. I do really love the looks people give me when they see a canoe with a stringer of walleye on it.