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254-acre lake near Crow Wing County. The lake tops out around 500 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 254 acres wrapped in 6.9 miles of bank. The 3.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 3% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1.7 mi, about 0.6 mi across. Crow Wing County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Pennington Mine, is 1 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 48 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (48 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 40 to 80 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 48 ft, rated prime for winter cisco (lake herring). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (499 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (48 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 | Break off the point (48 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 48 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Back-bay flat (21 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (48 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (499 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (499 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — feeding flat, 12 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 48 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| 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 | Break off the point (48 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (47 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (48 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 499 ft.
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 Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco is about 500 ft (152 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target rainbow trout, cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, burbot on Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 48 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, 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 Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco 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.
Pennington Mine 1 mi · Mahnomen 1 mi · Huntington Mine 1 mi · June 1 mi · Morroco Mine 1 mi · Black Hoof 1 mi · Portsmouth Mine 1 mi · Pascoe 2 mi · Portage 2 mi · Turner 2 mi · Mallen Pit 2 mi · Little Black Hoof 2 mi
See how Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Crow Wing County fishing maps (202 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.