Johannes Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MN)

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Lake depth chart

Johannes, MN

Max 46 ft

Target species

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Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Fall frog migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 25 – Nov 10 · frogs leave the marshes and sloughs for deeper wintering water as fall cools — the corroborated core is October; the funnels are the connections between marsh and main lake

adultevenings into after dark, where the marsh meets the lake — a funnel event — frogs cross from marshy shallows into the larger, deeper neighboring water and burrow into the soft bottom; fish the crossing, not the marsh

A short, place-specific buffet: predators stage where the frog traffic crosses — inlet mouths, culverts, the marsh-to-lake throat.

A weedless hollow-body frog worked slow across the marsh mouth at dusk; after dark, a slow-rolled swimbait or a bottom rig fished right on the soft bottom off the opening.

The event happens over the throats between marshes and the main lake — inlet mouths, culvert channels, soft-bottom bays just off the weeds

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageApr 1 – Jun 15 · in ~5 months

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~8 months

Know the rules

Minnesota DNR fishing regulations Buy a license

Minnesota season openers

Southeast trout	Jan 1, 2026	Southeastern inland streams
Stream trout	Apr 11, 2026	Statewide inland streams
Fishing opener	May 9, 2026	Minnesota waters
Muskellunge	Jun 6, 2026	Minnesota waters
Fishing opener (2027)	May 15, 2027	Minnesota waters

From the MN DNR seasons page (2026-08-10). Special regulations override statewide rules on many waters.

Seasons, limits and license rules vary by water and change every year — always check the official rules before you fish.

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Johannes

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Fishing Johannes: what the data says

130-acre lake near Otter Tail County. The lake tops out around 46 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

The drawn water covers 130 acres wrapped in 2.5 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 85% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi, about 0.4 mi across. It sits in Otter Tail County. If the bite dies, Stalker is 1 mi to the north.

Walleye fishing at Johannes

The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	open water	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Yellow Perch fishing at Johannes

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. 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	open water	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	open water	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)

Northern Pike fishing at Johannes

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. 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	open water	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	open water	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Johannes

Spring largemouth bass on Johannes hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Green Sunfish fishing at Johannes

When the water first warms, green sunfish slide up into 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 22 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a micro jig or a small grub rigged through the warm months.

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	open water	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

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Johannes; the deepest is Deep basin at about 40 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 40 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Johannes stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2024*	Walleye (fry)	50,000	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.

Johannes fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Johannes specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Johannes?

Johannes is about 46 ft (14 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Johannes?

Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, green sunfish on Johannes.

When is the best time to fish Johannes?

For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

Is Johannes stocked with fish?

Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Johannes was most recently stocked 2024 with 50,000 walleye (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Johannes?

Fishing on Johannes 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.

Nearby waters

Stalker 1 mi · Long 2 mi · Johnson 2 mi · Steenerson 2 mi · Sewell 3 mi · Long 3 mi · Jolly Ann 4 mi · Clear 5 mi · Fiske 5 mi · Torgerson 5 mi · German 6 mi · Middle 6 mi

See how Johannes stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota

More water nearby: Otter Tail County fishing maps (156 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, LakeFinder lake maps. 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.