Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
623-acre lake near Jackson County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 623 acres wrapped in 9.7 miles of bank. A development index of 2.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 1.8 mi, about 1.1 mi across. It sits in Jackson County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Pearl, is 2 mi to the north.
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 1 to 5 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 5 ft, and they winter in 2 to 5 ft. Winter walleye concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 5 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (1 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (1 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 1 to 5 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 5 ft, winter 2 to 5 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for muskellunge tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 1 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (1 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 1 to 5 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 5 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 5 ft. Fall white bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 1 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (5 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Little Spirit also holds crappie (2 to 5 ft in summer), bluegill (1 to 5 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (1 to 5 ft in summer), brown bullhead (1 to 5 ft in summer), channel catfish (2 to 5 ft in summer), freshwater drum (1 to 5 ft in summer), common carp (1 to 5 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 5 ft in summer), black bullhead (1 to 5 ft in summer), green sunfish (1 to 5 ft in summer), yellow bullhead (1 to 5 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 5 ft.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Walleye (fry) | 320,000 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.
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 Spirit specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Little Spirit is about 5 ft (2 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.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, channel catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar, black bullhead, green sunfish, yellow bullhead on Little Spirit.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Little Spirit was most recently stocked 2025 with 320,000 walleye (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Little Spirit 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.
Pearl 2 mi, MN · Marble Lake 2 mi, IA · Rush 2 mi, MN · Loon 3 mi, MN · Spirit Lake 3 mi, IA · Chandler 3 mi, MN · Center Lake 6 mi, IA · East Okoboji Lake 7 mi, IA · West Okoboji Lake 8 mi, IA · Clear 9 mi, MN · Upper Gar Lake 9 mi, IA · Minnewashta Lake 10 mi, IA
See how Little Spirit 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
More water nearby: Jackson County fishing maps (12 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.