Deer Yard Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MN)

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Lake depth chart

Deer Yard, MN

Max 20 ft

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Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Fall frog migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 25 – Nov 10 · frogs leave the marshes and sloughs for deeper wintering water as fall cools — the corroborated core is October; the funnels are the connections between marsh and main lake

adultevenings into after dark, where the marsh meets the lake — a funnel event — frogs cross from marshy shallows into the larger, deeper neighboring water and burrow into the soft bottom; fish the crossing, not the marsh

A short, place-specific buffet: predators stage where the frog traffic crosses — inlet mouths, culverts, the marsh-to-lake throat.

A weedless hollow-body frog worked slow across the marsh mouth at dusk; after dark, a slow-rolled swimbait or a bottom rig fished right on the soft bottom off the opening.

The event happens over the throats between marshes and the main lake — inlet mouths, culvert channels, soft-bottom bays just off the weeds

Next on this water

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~8 months

Know the rules

Minnesota DNR fishing regulations Buy a license

Minnesota season openers

Southeast trout	Jan 1, 2026	Southeastern inland streams
Stream trout	Apr 11, 2026	Statewide inland streams
Fishing opener	May 9, 2026	Minnesota waters
Muskellunge	Jun 6, 2026	Minnesota waters
Fishing opener (2027)	May 15, 2027	Minnesota waters

From the MN DNR seasons page (2026-08-10). Special regulations override statewide rules on many waters.

Seasons, limits and license rules vary by water and change every year — always check the official rules before you fish.

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Walleye

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Deer Yard

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Fishing Deer Yard: what the data says

332-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 20 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 the Minnesota DNR survey of 1939, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

Drawn out, this is 332 acres of water rimmed by 5 miles of bank. Index 1.9 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 70% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.1 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Cook County. For a second option, Bigsby lies 2 mi west.

Walleye fishing at Deer Yard

Spring walleye on Deer Yard hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 15 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).

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	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (15 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (15 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (15 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (20 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Notable structure

7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Deer Yard Lake Public Water Access Site — carry-in

Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Deer Yard fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Deer Yard specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Deer Yard?

Deer Yard is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1939, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map).

What fish are in Deer Yard?

Anglers target walleye on Deer Yard.

Where is the best fishing spot on Deer Yard?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Deer Yard?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Deer Yard?

Fishing on Deer Yard 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.

Nearby waters

Bigsby 2 mi · Ward 2 mi · Pike 2 mi · Caribou 3 mi · Turtle 3 mi · Mark 4 mi · Mistletoe 5 mi · Holly 5 mi · Christine 6 mi · Williams 7 mi · Wills 7 mi · White Pine 7 mi

See how Deer Yard stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota

More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 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.