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Fishing Benton: what the data says
2,654-acre lake near Lincoln County. The lake tops out around 9 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Walleye fishing at Benton
Spring walleye on Benton hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Gravel shoal is the standout, a gravel shoal at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Benton
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 9 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Benton
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 9 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Benton
Spring yellow perch on Benton hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Benton
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 9 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Benton
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 9 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Benton also holds common carp (2 to 9 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 9 ft in summer), channel catfish (3 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Benton?
Benton is about 9 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Benton?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch, common carp, pumpkinseed on Benton.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Benton?
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.
Nearby waters
Dead Coon · Shaokotan · East Twin · Goose · Perch · Island
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
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.