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58-acre lake near Itasca County. The lake tops out around 68 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 58 acres wrapped in 2 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.9) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 49% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. Itasca County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lower Hanson, is 1 mi to the north.
Spring northern pike on Inkey hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| 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 |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (31 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Inkey hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Inkey hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 58 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 Inkey specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Inkey is about 68 ft (21 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 northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Inkey.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For northern pike, 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 Inkey 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.
Lower Hanson 1 mi · Clearwater 1 mi · Big Rainbarrel 1 mi · Hanson 2 mi · Little Wabana 2 mi · O'Reilly 2 mi · Shamrock 3 mi · Middle Hanson 3 mi · Island 3 mi · Little O'Reilly 3 mi · Lower Lawrence 3 mi · Murphy 4 mi
See how Inkey stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Itasca County fishing maps (371 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.