Solunar Calendar · Updated 2026-07-06
Best Fishing Times for Penn Lake
14-day solunar fishing calendar for Penn Lake, Hennepin County, Minnesota — sun and moon times calculated for lat 44.847, lon -93.306.
Penn Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.
Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. At only 7 ft deep, Penn Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Penn Lake is small — 44 acres alongside 2.3 miles of shoreline — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Among the 104 graded lakes in Hennepin County, Penn Lake sits at rank 35, above the county median.
Full water-quality breakdown: Penn Lake water-quality report.
Today at Penn Lake
Sunrise 5:34 AM, sunset 9:01 PM. Moon is Last Quarter (58% illuminated). Day rating: ★★☆☆☆.
Major periods: 5:04 AM – 7:04 AM; 5:26 PM – 7:26 PM
Minor periods: 11:23 PM – 12:23 AM; 11:57 AM – 12:57 PM
14-Day Fishing Calendar
No 3.5+ star solunar days in the next 14 days at Penn Lake — consider focusing on dawn and dusk windows. Anglers target bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, and others on Penn Lake.
| Date | Rating | Moon | Sunrise | Sunset | Major Periods | Minor Periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jul 6 | ★★☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 58% lit | 5:34 AM | 9:01 PM | 5:04 AM – 7:04 AM 5:26 PM – 7:26 PM | 11:23 PM – 12:23 AM 11:57 AM – 12:57 PM |
| Tue, Jul 7 | ★½☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 47% lit | 5:34 AM | 9:01 PM | 5:48 AM – 7:48 AM | 11:42 PM – 12:42 AM 1:09 PM – 2:09 PM |
| Wed, Jul 8 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 37% lit | 5:35 AM | 9:00 PM | 6:12 PM – 8:12 PM 6:36 AM – 8:36 AM | 12:02 AM – 1:02 AM 2:25 PM – 3:25 PM |
| Thu, Jul 9 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 27% lit | 5:36 AM | 9:00 PM | 7:01 PM – 9:01 PM 7:27 AM – 9:27 AM | 12:26 AM – 1:26 AM 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM |
| Fri, Jul 10 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 18% lit | 5:37 AM | 8:59 PM | 7:55 PM – 9:55 PM 8:24 AM – 10:24 AM | 12:57 AM – 1:57 AM 5:05 PM – 6:05 PM |
| Sat, Jul 11 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 11% lit | 5:38 AM | 8:59 PM | 8:55 PM – 10:55 PM 9:26 AM – 11:26 AM | 1:38 AM – 2:38 AM 6:23 PM – 7:23 PM |
| Sun, Jul 12 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 5% lit | 5:38 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:59 PM – 11:59 PM 10:32 AM – 12:32 PM | 2:33 AM – 3:33 AM |
| Mon, Jul 13 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 1% lit | 5:39 AM | 8:58 PM | 11:05 PM – 1:05 AM 11:38 AM – 1:38 PM | 7:31 PM – 8:31 PM 3:42 AM – 4:42 AM |
| Tue, Jul 14 | ★★½☆☆ | New Moon 0% lit | 5:40 AM | 8:57 PM | 12:10 AM – 2:10 AM 12:42 PM – 2:42 PM | 8:25 PM – 9:25 PM 5:02 AM – 6:02 AM |
| Wed, Jul 15 | ★★☆☆☆ | New Moon 1% lit | 5:41 AM | 8:56 PM | 1:12 AM – 3:12 AM 1:40 PM – 3:40 PM | 9:06 PM – 10:06 PM 6:27 AM – 7:27 AM |
| Thu, Jul 16 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 4% lit | 5:42 AM | 8:56 PM | 2:07 AM – 4:07 AM 2:34 PM – 4:34 PM | 9:37 PM – 10:37 PM 7:50 AM – 8:50 AM |
| Fri, Jul 17 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 9% lit | 5:43 AM | 8:55 PM | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM 3:23 PM – 5:23 PM | 10:01 PM – 11:01 PM 9:08 AM – 10:08 AM |
| Sat, Jul 18 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 16% lit | 5:44 AM | 8:54 PM | 3:46 AM – 5:46 AM 4:09 PM – 6:09 PM | 10:22 PM – 11:22 PM 10:23 AM – 11:23 AM |
| Sun, Jul 19 | ★★½☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 25% lit | 5:45 AM | 8:53 PM | 4:31 AM – 6:31 AM 4:53 PM – 6:53 PM | 10:41 PM – 11:41 PM 11:34 AM – 12:34 PM |
Server-rendered 14-day calendar starting 2026-07-06. Live in your browser shortly.
How to Read This Calendar
Major periods (≈2 hours) are centered on lunar transit (when the moon is highest in the sky) and lunar opposition (when the moon is directly underfoot). These are typically the strongest feeding windows.
Minor periods (≈1 hour) are centered on moonrise and moonset. They're secondary windows that often produce well — especially when they coincide with sunrise or sunset.
Day rating combines moon phase (peak near new and full moons, when lunar gravity is strongest) with the overlap of major periods and the dawn/dusk twilight. A 4–5 star day stacks all three.
At Penn Lake (lat 44.85°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with 15h 36m of daylight. The shortest is around December 21 with 8h 47m. Plan summer trips around the early-morning bite (around 5:30 AM) and the long evening window before sunset.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to fish Penn Lake today?
Today's solunar calendar for Penn Lake (lat 44.85, lon -93.31) shows sunrise at 5:34 AM and sunset at 9:01 PM. The strongest fishing windows are around major solunar periods at 5:04 AM–7:04 AM and 5:26 PM–7:26 PM, plus the 30-90 minutes around dawn and dusk.
What does the moon phase mean for fishing Penn Lake?
Solunar theory holds that fish activity peaks during major periods (when the moon is overhead or directly underfoot) and minor periods (moonrise and moonset). Fish feeding tends to intensify during the days surrounding the new moon and full moon, when lunar gravity is strongest. Today's moon at Penn Lake is Last Quarter (58% illuminated).
When are the longest and shortest days at Penn Lake?
At Penn Lake's latitude (44.85°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with about 15h 36m of daylight. The shortest day is around December 21 with about 8h 47m of daylight. Sunrise and sunset shift by roughly 6 hours between solstices.
Are major or minor solunar periods more important?
Major periods (about 2 hours, centered on lunar transit and lunar opposition) are generally considered the strongest feeding windows. Minor periods (about 1 hour, centered on moonrise and moonset) are secondary but still productive — especially when they overlap with sunrise or sunset.
More for Penn Lake
Solunar calculations based on lat/lon and Meeus astronomical formulas. Times shown in Central Time. Solunar theory is a heuristic — fish activity also depends on weather, water temperature, barometric pressure, and recent forage conditions. Always check local regulations and conditions before fishing.