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10-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 8 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Bulge draws 10 acres inside 0.5 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. The water lies in Cook County. For a second option, Dogtrot lies 0 mi north.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 2 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 2 to 8 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) 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 8 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 2 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 7 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm 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 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 4 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage 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 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Bulge carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Main-lake point, about 8 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Bulge specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Bulge is about 8 ft (2 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 walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Bulge.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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.
Fishing on Bulge 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.
Dogtrot 0 mi · Silver 0 mi · Slip 0 mi · Iowa 1 mi · Rice 1 mi · Clara 1 mi · Manymoon 1 mi · Fleck 1 mi · Missouri 2 mi · Crescent 3 mi · Williams 3 mi · White Pine 3 mi
See how Bulge stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 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.