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51-acre lake near Itasca County. The lake tops out around 48 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The drawn water covers 51 acres wrapped in 1.3 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 44% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 0.6 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Itasca County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Ranier, is 1 mi to the southeast.
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. 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 | 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 |
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 10 ft before dropping to 6 to 18 ft for winter. Spring pumpkinseed concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season brown bullhead use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 12 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water |
Spring puts black bullhead in skinny water — 2 to 9 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 28 ft. Summer black bullhead concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 10 to 28 ft | midday | open water |
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 41 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 Ranier specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Little Ranier is about 48 ft (15 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 northern pike, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, black bullhead on Little Ranier.
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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. 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 Ranier 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.
Ranier 1 mi · Little North Star 2 mi · Turtle 2 mi · Unnamed Lake (Itasca County) 2 mi · Johnson 3 mi · Grass 3 mi · Jack the Horse (South) 3 mi · Rice 3 mi · Little Turtle 3 mi · Jack the Horse (North) 3 mi · North Star 3 mi · Maple 4 mi
See how Little Ranier stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best pumpkinseed lakes in Minnesota · best brown bullhead lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Itasca County fishing maps (371 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.