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614-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 180 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 617 acres wrapped in 9.9 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. A development index of 2.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 47% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 1.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.3 mi at the beam. It sits in Cook County. If the bite dies, Fern is 1 mi to the west.
Spring lake trout on Gillis hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 81 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (45 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Break off the point (81 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (45 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (81 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring burbot on Gillis hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 81 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in after dark and midday. The summer box starts with a heavy jig + cut bait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (81 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Break off the point (81 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (81 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | open water | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Gillis carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 153 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 Gillis specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Gillis is about 180 ft (55 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, northern pike, burbot on Gillis.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 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 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 Gillis 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.
Fern 1 mi · French 1 mi · Bat 1 mi · Crooked 1 mi · Owl 1 mi · Powell 1 mi · Ecstasy 2 mi · Fay 2 mi · Elm 2 mi · West Fern 2 mi · Peter 2 mi · Mora 2 mi
See how Gillis stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best lake trout lakes in Minnesota · best burbot 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.