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217-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 84 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 217 acres wrapped in 4.8 miles of bank. A development index of 2.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 20% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 2.2 mi long by 0.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Cook County. Its nearest charted neighbour, West Pope, is 1 mi to the southwest.
When the water first warms, lake trout slide up into 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 84 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 71 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 25 to 84 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (71 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (71 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring rainbow trout on Mayhew hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 38 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 5 to 35 ft for winter. Summer brown trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 38 ft. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 6 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (38 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 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.
| 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 | Main-lake point (21 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 |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Mayhew carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 71 ft down.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Rainbow Trout (yearlings) | 3,200 | — |
* 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 Mayhew specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Mayhew is about 84 ft (26 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 lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, yellow perch, northern pike, bluegill on Mayhew.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 71 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in 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, Mayhew was most recently stocked 2025 with 3,200 rainbow trout (yearlings). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Mayhew 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.
West Pope 1 mi · East Pope 1 mi · Iron 1 mi · Topper 1 mi · Portage 1 mi · Little Mayhew 1 mi · Surber 2 mi · One Island 2 mi · Crab 2 mi · Sock 2 mi · Bedew 2 mi · North 2 mi
See how Mayhew stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best rainbow trout lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch 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.