Mallen Pit Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MN)

Skip to interactive depth chart

Lake depth chart

Mallen Pit, MN

Max 95 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Fall frog migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 25 – Nov 10 · frogs leave the marshes and sloughs for deeper wintering water as fall cools — the corroborated core is October; the funnels are the connections between marsh and main lake

adultevenings into after dark, where the marsh meets the lake — a funnel event — frogs cross from marshy shallows into the larger, deeper neighboring water and burrow into the soft bottom; fish the crossing, not the marsh

A short, place-specific buffet: predators stage where the frog traffic crosses — inlet mouths, culverts, the marsh-to-lake throat.

A weedless hollow-body frog worked slow across the marsh mouth at dusk; after dark, a slow-rolled swimbait or a bottom rig fished right on the soft bottom off the opening.

The event happens over the throats between marshes and the main lake — inlet mouths, culvert channels, soft-bottom bays just off the weeds

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageApr 1 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 15 – Aug 10 · in ~7 months

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~8 months

Know the rules

Minnesota DNR fishing regulations Buy a license

Minnesota season openers

Southeast trout	Jan 1, 2026	Southeastern inland streams
Stream trout	Apr 11, 2026	Statewide inland streams
Fishing opener	May 9, 2026	Minnesota waters
Muskellunge	Jun 6, 2026	Minnesota waters
Fishing opener (2027)	May 15, 2027	Minnesota waters

From the MN DNR seasons page (2026-08-10). Special regulations override statewide rules on many waters.

Seasons, limits and license rules vary by water and change every year — always check the official rules before you fish.

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

Loading bounded depth chart…

Recent catches at Mallen Pit

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Mallen Pit: what the data says

5-acre lake near Crow Wing County. The lake tops out around 95 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

On the chart, Mallen Pit draws 5 acres inside 0.3 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.1) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. About 6% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The water lies in Crow Wing County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Little Black Hoof, 0 mi south of here.

Brook Trout fishing at Mallen Pit

Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	open water	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Northern Pike fishing at Mallen Pit

Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Summer northern pike concentrate at Main-lake point, a good-rated point around 24 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (24 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	open water	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Mallen Pit

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 43 ft, rated good for winter largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (24 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (43 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Mallen Pit

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	open water	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Pumpkinseed fishing at Mallen Pit

When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 18 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	open water	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	open water	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Notable structure

3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 81 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 81 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 43 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 24 ft

Mallen Pit stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2025*	Brook Trout (yearlings)	400	—
2024*	Brook Trout (yearlings)	400	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.

Mallen Pit fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Mallen Pit specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Mallen Pit?

Mallen Pit is about 95 ft (29 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.

What fish are in Mallen Pit?

Anglers target brook trout, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Mallen Pit.

Where is the best fishing spot on Mallen Pit?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 43 ft of water that rates good for largemouth bass in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Mallen Pit?

For brook 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.

Is Mallen Pit stocked with fish?

Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Mallen Pit was most recently stocked 2025 with 400 brook trout (yearlings). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Mallen Pit?

Fishing on Mallen Pit 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.

Nearby waters

Little Black Hoof 0 mi · Portage 1 mi · Snoshoe Mine 1 mi · Roe Mine 1 mi · Black Hoof 1 mi · Hay 1 mi · Little Rabbit 1 mi · June 1 mi · Pascoe 1 mi · Huntington Mine 1 mi · Sagamore Mine 2 mi · Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco 2 mi

See how Mallen Pit stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best brook trout lakes in Minnesota

More water nearby: Crow Wing County fishing maps (202 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.