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Fishing Idlewild: what the data says
12-acre lake near Hennepin County. The lake tops out around 9 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Idlewild
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 9 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Idlewild
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 9 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Idlewild
Spring bluegill on Idlewild hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 2 to 9 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Idlewild
Spring pumpkinseed on Idlewild hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 9 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 9 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 the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Idlewild
Spring brown bullhead on Idlewild hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 9 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 9 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 8 ft
- Shoreline break: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Idlewild?
Idlewild is about 9 ft 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.
What fish are in Idlewild?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Idlewild.
Where is the best fishing spot on Idlewild?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Idlewild?
For largemouth bass, 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.
Nearby waters
Smetana · Bryant · North Anderson · Southwest Anderson · Staring · Southeast Anderson
See how Idlewild stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best pumpkinseed lakes in Minnesota
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