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51-acre lake near Lake County. The lake tops out around 75 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Explorer draws 51 acres inside 1.2 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.2), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 19% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.4 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. The water lies in Lake County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Trader, 0 mi northwest of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 23 to 75 ft, wintering in 19 to 75 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 64 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 23 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (64 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 19 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (64 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 34 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (34 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (34 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Explorer carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 64 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Explorer specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Explorer is about 75 ft (23 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 lake trout, yellow perch on Explorer.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 64 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Explorer 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.
Trader 0 mi · Neglige 1 mi · Arkose 1 mi · Vera 1 mi · Portage 2 mi · Ensign 2 mi · Ima 2 mi · Ashigan 2 mi · Hatchet 3 mi · Gibson 3 mi · Jordan 3 mi · Cattyman 3 mi
See how Explorer stacks up: best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best lake trout lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Lake County fishing maps (313 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.