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207-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 260 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 2008 (a DNR lake survey). Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Iron Chief Complex runs 207 acres with 3.8 miles of edge. Index 1.9 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 2% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 1.2 mi long by 0.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in St. Louis County. The nearest mapped water is Stubler Pit, 1 mi to the south.
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 50 to 120 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | open water | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | open water | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for summer largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Back-bay flat, a feeding flat in the 12 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Summer crappie concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 22 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (22 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Winter northern pike concentrate at Back-bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: green sunfish in 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 12 ft before dropping to 8 to 22 ft for winter. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a feeding flat in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for green sunfish in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro jig or a small grub gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Micro jig, Small grub |
| Fall | 4 to 16 ft | midday | open water | Small jig, Micro crankbait |
| Winter | 8 to 22 ft | midday | open water | Tiny hair jig, Micro spoon |
Iron Chief Complex also holds rainbow smelt (25 to 80 ft in summer), black bullhead (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 253 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Lake Trout (yearlings) | 1,250 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Iron Chief Complex specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Iron Chief Complex is about 260 ft (79 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 2008 (a DNR lake survey).
Anglers target lake trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, northern pike, green sunfish, rainbow smelt, black bullhead on Iron Chief Complex.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Iron Chief Complex was most recently stocked 2025 with 1,250 lake trout (yearlings). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Iron Chief Complex 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.
Stubler Pit 1 mi · Judson Mine Pit 1 mi · Kinney 3 mi · Forsyth Pit 3 mi · Scott 3 mi · Yates 3 mi · Six Mile 4 mi · Longyear 4 mi · Doherty 5 mi · McQuade 6 mi · West Two Rivers Reservoir 6 mi · Carey 6 mi
See how Iron Chief Complex 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: St. Louis County fishing maps (429 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.