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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
2,654-acre lake near Lincoln County. The lake tops out around 9 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1957, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map). Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 2,654 acres wrapped in 17 miles of bank. A development index of 2.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 5.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.3 mi at the beam. It sits in Lincoln County. If the bite dies, Stay is 8 mi to the northeast.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 2 to 9 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 9 ft covers summer, 3 to 9 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Gravel shoal, a gravel shoal in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 2 to 9 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Benton hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 9 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 9 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 9 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 9 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 9 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Benton hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 9 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 9 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 9 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Benton hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 9 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 9 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Benton also holds common carp (2 to 9 ft in summer), channel catfish (3 to 9 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 9 ft in summer), black bullhead (2 to 9 ft in summer), green sunfish (2 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Benton carries 12 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 9 ft down.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Black Crappie (adults) | 1,600 | — |
| 2025* | Bluegill Sunfish (adults) | 4,000 | — |
| 2025* | Yellow Perch (adults) | 1,600 | — |
| 2024* | Walleye (fry) | 1,428,500 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Benton specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Benton is about 9 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1957, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map).
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, common carp, channel catfish, pumpkinseed, black bullhead, green sunfish on Benton.
Gravel shoal is the top-rated area: a gravel shoal in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Benton was most recently stocked 2025 with 1,600 black crappie (adults). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Benton is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Stay 8 mi · Slough 9 mi · Dead Coon 9 mi · Shaokotan 10 mi · West Twin 10 mi · East Twin 11 mi · Sanderson 11 mi · Wood 12 mi · Goose 12 mi · Minett-Kranz Reservoir 12 mi · Island 13 mi · Hawksnest 13 mi
See how Benton stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Lincoln County fishing maps (12 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.