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Faribault to Red Wing mouth. Interrupted by Lake Byllesby dam. The river tops out around 6 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 2,762 acres wrapped in 100.7 miles of bank. A development index of 13.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 37.3 mi long by 8.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Goodhue County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Byllesby, is 5 mi to the north.
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Riffle & run (mile 14.9) — rock pile, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 14.9) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 14.9) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 14.9) (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 16.8) (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 2 to 6 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 6 ft through summer, 2 to 6 ft in winter. The spot to know is Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring channel catfish on Cannon River hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 ft once it turns cold. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 5 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (5 ft) |
Spring flathead catfish on Cannon River hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) — eddy pocket, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (3 ft) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace — dam tailrace, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 16.8) (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 16.8) (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 16.8) (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, common carp slide up into 1 to 6 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 6 ft, winter 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Tailout eddy (mile 0.3): an eddy pocket around 3 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (3 ft) |
Cannon River carries 25 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Cannon River (Woolen Mills) Dam tailrace, about 5 ft down.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Cannon River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Cannon River is about 6 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 smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, flathead catfish, northern pike, common carp on Cannon River.
Riffle & run (mile 14.9) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cannon River 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.
Lake Byllesby 5 mi · Lyman 10 mi · Prairie Ponds 16 mi · Chub 16 mi · Vermillion River - Clear 18 mi · Ann 18 mi · Union 18 mi · Mississippi River - Goose 19 mi · Fox 19 mi · Mississippi River Pool 3 (Hastings to Red Wing) 19 mi, MN/WI · Vermillion River 19 mi, MN/WI · U.S. Lock & Dam #3 19 mi
See how Cannon River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Goodhue County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or 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.