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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
72-acre lake near Stearns County. The lake tops out around 9 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Melrose runs 72 acres with 3.5 miles of edge. An index of 3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. End to end it runs roughly 1.3 mi, about 0.3 mi across. The water lies in Stearns County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Black Oak, 3 mi south of here.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 2 to 9 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 9 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 9 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm 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 | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 2 to 9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 9 ft through summer, 3 to 9 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 8 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.
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 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) |
When the water first warms, black bullhead slide up into 2 to 9 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 9 ft, winter 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 8 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
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 9 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: yellow bullhead sit in 2 to 9 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 9 ft covers summer, 3 to 9 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow bullhead in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark.
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 9 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | night | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) |
Melrose carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 8 ft down.
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 Melrose specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Melrose is about 9 ft (3 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 yellow perch, northern pike, crappie, channel catfish, black bullhead, yellow bullhead on Melrose.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For yellow perch, 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.
Fishing on Melrose 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.
Black Oak 3 mi · Cedar 4 mi · Ellering 5 mi · McCormic 5 mi · Sylvia 5 mi · Uhlenkolts 5 mi · Long 5 mi · Kings 6 mi · Maria 6 mi · Little Birch 7 mi · Big Birch (S portion) 7 mi · Big Birch 8 mi
See how Melrose stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Stearns County fishing maps (93 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.