Lake depth chart
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17-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 9 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 17 acres wrapped in 0.8 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Call it 0.3 mi long. St. Louis County claims this one. If the bite dies, Little Coyote is 1 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 1 to 9 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 9 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.
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 9 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 1 to 9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 9 ft through summer, 1 to 9 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shoreline break, a drop-off in the 4 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) 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 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 9 ft, and they winter in 3 to 9 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
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 | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Donna carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 8 ft down.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Brown Trout (yearlings) | 756 | — |
| 2024* | Brown Trout (yearlings) | 755 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-11.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Donna specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Donna is about 9 ft (3 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 brook trout, brown trout, yellow perch on Donna.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook trout, 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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Donna was most recently stocked 2025 with 756 brown trout (yearlings). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Donna 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.
Little Coyote 1 mi · King 2 mi · Stewart 2 mi · Stone 3 mi · Little Stone 3 mi · Sand 4 mi · White 4 mi · Moose 4 mi · Schaeffer 4 mi · Pequaywan 4 mi · Big Bear 5 mi · Thomas 5 mi
See how Donna stacks up: best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best brown trout lakes in Minnesota · best brook trout lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: St. Louis County fishing maps (429 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. 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.