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Nimrod to Crow Wing State Park confluence The river tops out around 6 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 2,400 acres, worked by 115.4 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 16.8) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 35.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 9.7 mi at the beam. It sits in Cass County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Rock, is 7 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 2 to 6 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 6 ft, winter 2 to 6 ft. Start at Riffle & run (mile 10.0). It's a rock pile holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 10.0) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 10.0) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Spring walleye concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 10.0), a prime-rated rock pile around 3 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 10.0) (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 6 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 6 ft, winter 2 to 6 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 0.6). It's a current seam holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Crow Wing River carries 25 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3), 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 Crow Wing River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Crow Wing 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, northern pike 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. 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 Crow Wing 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.
Rock 7 mi · Long 8 mi · Beauty 8 mi · Pillager 9 mi · Green Bass 9 mi · Placid 11 mi · Agate 11 mi · Sylvan 12 mi · Margaret 12 mi · Gull Lake 12 mi · Ruth 13 mi · Upper Gull 13 mi
See how Crow Wing River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cass County fishing maps (217 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.