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430-acre lake near Lake County. The lake tops out around 184 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 430 acres wrapped in 7.9 miles of bank. The 2.7 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 37% of this chart, as modeled. Figure 3.2 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.6 mi at the beam. Lake County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Dutton, is 1 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, lake trout slide up into 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 50 to 120 ft game here, winter a 20 to 80 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 83 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (46 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Break off the point (83 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (46 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (83 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 40 to 90 ft; cold water stacks them in 25 to 70 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 83 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Break off the point (83 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (83 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 40 to 80 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 83 ft range, good in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (83 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | open water | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 46 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| 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 | Main-lake point (46 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| 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 |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Little Knife also holds rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), burbot (50 to 120 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 156 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 Little Knife specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Little Knife is about 184 ft (56 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 lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass, burbot on Little Knife.
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 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.
Fishing on Little Knife 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.
Dutton 1 mi · Amoeber 1 mi · Topaz 1 mi · Gijikiki 2 mi · Cherry 2 mi · Lunar 2 mi · Canoe 3 mi · Clam 3 mi · This Man Lake 3 mi, ON · Knife 3 mi · Eddy 4 mi · Sema 4 mi
See how Little Knife stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best lake trout lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Lake County fishing maps (313 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.