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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
5-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 29 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 5 acres, worked by 0.5 miles of shoreline. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 41% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. It sits in Cook County. If the bite dies, Chester is 1 mi to the west.
Spring brook trout on Margaret hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 9 to 29 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 25 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
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 | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (25 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 29 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 29 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 13 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
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 | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 25 ft.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Brook Trout (fingerlings) | 900 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-11.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Margaret specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Margaret is about 29 ft (9 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 brook trout, rainbow trout on Margaret.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Margaret was most recently stocked 2024 with 900 brook trout (fingerlings). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Margaret 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.
Chester 1 mi · Loft 2 mi · Otter 2 mi · Devilfish 2 mi · Esther 3 mi · Olga 3 mi · Edith 4 mi · McFarland 4 mi · Little John 5 mi · Sunfish 5 mi · Tom 5 mi · South Fowl 5 mi
See how Margaret stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Minnesota · best brook trout lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 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.