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347-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 26 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 347 acres wrapped in 4.9 miles of bank. With a 1.9 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 77% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 1.5 mi end to end and 0.8 mi across at its widest. It sits in St. Louis County. Gowan sits 3 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 26 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 26 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm 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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter an 8 to 26 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 20 ft, wintering in 8 to 26 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 8 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for the evening. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
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 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 22 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Bootleg specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Bootleg is about 26 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill on Bootleg.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bootleg 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.
Gowan 3 mi · Neesh 4 mi · Niswi 4 mi · Otter 4 mi · Little Trout 5 mi · Chad 5 mi · Neewin 5 mi · Buck 5 mi · Cummings 5 mi · Big Moose 5 mi · Western 6 mi · Crellin 7 mi
See how Bootleg stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: St. Louis County fishing maps (429 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. 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.