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35-acre lake near Steele County. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The depth data here comes from a DNR lake survey. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Kohlmeier maps at 35 acres behind 1.1 miles of shoreline. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.5 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. Steele County claims this one. If the bite dies, Straight River is 8 mi to the north.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 3 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 4 to 12 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 6 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (12 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 12 ft, and they winter in 4 to 12 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Time it for early morning. 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 | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Deep basin (12 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 6 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Kohlmeier hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 12 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 3 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in 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 | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass in 2 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 4 to 12 ft in winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (12 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 12 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Kohlmeier also holds bluegill (3 to 12 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), freshwater drum (3 to 12 ft in summer), common carp (2 to 12 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 12 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.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Kohlmeier specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Kohlmeier is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a DNR lake survey.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, freshwater drum, common carp on Kohlmeier. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Kohlmeier 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.
Straight River 8 mi · Rice 9 mi · Clear 12 mi · Beaver 13 mi · Loon 14 mi · St. Olaf 14 mi · Cannon 15 mi · Sprague 16 mi · Wells 16 mi · Lower Sakatah 17 mi · Cedar 18 mi · Upper Sakatah Lake 18 mi
See how Kohlmeier stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.