Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
99-acre lake near Scott County. The lake tops out around 11 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Gifford draws 99 acres inside 2.2 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.4 mi across. The water lies in Scott County. For a second option, Courthouse lies 2 mi north.
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 11 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 11 ft, winter 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| 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 | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 9 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts brown bullhead in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Winter brown bullhead concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 9 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) |
Spring puts freshwater drum in skinny water — 3 to 11 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for winter freshwater drum. Plan around the evening in the warm months. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Gifford also holds common carp (2 to 11 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Gifford carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 9 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 Gifford specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Gifford is about 11 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 yellow perch, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, freshwater drum, common carp on Gifford.
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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For yellow perch, 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 Gifford 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.
Courthouse 2 mi · Firemen's Clayhole 2 mi · Thole 4 mi · Unnamed (Grace) 4 mi · Schneider 4 mi · O'Dowd 4 mi · Minnesota River 5 mi · Bavaria 5 mi · Aue 5 mi · Shakopee Memorial Pond 5 mi · Geis 6 mi · Riley 6 mi
See how Gifford stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Scott County fishing maps (28 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.