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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
71-acre lake near Martin County. The lake tops out around 5 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 a DNR lake survey. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Clam draws 71 acres inside 1.5 miles of shoreline. At index 1.3 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. The basin spans about 0.6 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Martin County. The nearest mapped water is Big Twin, 4 mi to the west.
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 1 to 5 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 5 ft, winter 2 to 5 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run 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 | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 5 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.
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 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts freshwater drum in skinny water — 1 to 5 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 1 to 5 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 5 ft. Winter freshwater drum concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) 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 | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 1 to 5 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 5 ft, and they winter in 2 to 5 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Time it for early morning and the evening.
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 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) |
Come spring, look for black bullhead tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 5 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
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 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) |
Clam also holds green sunfish (1 to 5 ft in summer), yellow bullhead (1 to 5 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 6 structure features on Clam; the deepest is Deep basin at about 5 ft.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Black Crappie (adults) | 120 | — |
| 2024* | Yellow Perch (adults) | 830 | — |
* 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 Clam specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Clam is about 5 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a DNR lake survey.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, crappie, freshwater drum, common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish, yellow bullhead on Clam.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Clam was most recently stocked 2024 with 120 black crappie (adults). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Clam 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.
Big Twin 4 mi · Fox 4 mi · Cedar 5 mi · Temperance 5 mi · Fish 8 mi · Perch 11 mi · Lake George (Fairmont Chain) 11 mi · Lake Sisseton (Fairmont Chain) 12 mi · Long 12 mi · Budd Lake (Fairmont Chain) 12 mi · Hall Lake (Fairmont Chain) 13 mi · Bright 13 mi
See how Clam stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best freshwater drum lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Martin County fishing maps (21 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.