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174-acre lake near Pope County. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The depth data here comes from a DNR lake survey. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 174 acres of water rimmed by 2 miles of bank. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 36% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.6-mi widest point. The water lies in Pope County. The nearest mapped water is Gilchrist, 1 mi to the south.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 46 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (46 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (46 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (46 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (50 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (46 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (50 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (50 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Linka also holds brown bullhead (3 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 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Walleye (yearlings) | 72 | — |
| 2024* | Walleye (fingerlings) | 344 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Linka specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Linka is about 50 ft (15 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, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead on Linka.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Linka was most recently stocked 2024 with 72 walleye (yearlings). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Linka 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.
Gilchrist 1 mi · Scandinavian 3 mi · Hoff 4 mi · Goose 4 mi · Benson 4 mi · Nelson 5 mi · Camp 6 mi · Johanna 7 mi · Signalness 8 mi · Lake Minnewaska 10 mi · Grove 11 mi · Pelican 12 mi
See how Linka stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Pope County fishing maps (22 charts). 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.