Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
36-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 28 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 36 acres wrapped in 1.4 miles of bank. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 58% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.6 mi. It sits in Cook County. If the bite dies, Portage is 1 mi to the southwest.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 28 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 28 ft. Put Shoreline break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 13 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
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 | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 28 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 28 ft. Shoreline break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for fall 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.
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 | Shoreline break (13 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 28 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 28 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 28 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shoreline break: a drop-off around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter an 8 to 28 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait 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 | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
East Pope also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 24 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to East Pope specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
East Pope is about 28 ft (9 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 rainbow trout, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, bluegill on East Pope.
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For rainbow 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.
Fishing on East Pope 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.
Portage 1 mi · Mayhew 1 mi · Iron 1 mi · West Pope 1 mi · Surber 1 mi · Topper 1 mi · One Island 1 mi · Skipper 2 mi · Lum 2 mi · Sock 2 mi · Little Mayhew 2 mi · Birch 2 mi
See how East Pope stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 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.