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Fishing Crow Wing River: what the data says
Nimrod to Crow Wing State Park confluence The river tops out around 6 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Crow Wing River
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Riffle & run (mile 10.0): a rock pile around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Walleye fishing at Crow Wing River
Spring walleye on Crow Wing River hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Riffle & run (mile 10.0) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Crow Wing River
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Current seam (mile 0.6), a current seam in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 7.5): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 12.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 14.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 17.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 19.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 22.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 24.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 28.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 31.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 37.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 41.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 43.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 47.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Crow Wing River?
Crow Wing River is about 6 ft 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.
What fish are in Crow Wing River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike on Crow Wing River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Crow Wing River?
Riffle & run (mile 10.0) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Crow Wing River?
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.
Nearby waters
Rock · Placid · Shamineau · Crookneck · Round · Spider
See how Crow Wing River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
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