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212-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 65 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 212 acres of water rimmed by 6.1 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 29% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 1.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 1 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Cook County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Wine, 2 mi south of here.
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 20 to 65 ft before dropping to 16 to 65 ft for winter. Summer lake trout concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 55 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger most summer days.
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 (16 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 20 to 65 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (55 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (16 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 16 to 65 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (55 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 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 |
Mesaba carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 55 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Mesaba specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Mesaba is about 65 ft (20 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, northern pike on Mesaba.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 55 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Mesaba 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.
Wine 2 mi · Mora 4 mi · Handle 5 mi · Elm 5 mi · Crooked 5 mi · Kelso 5 mi · Little Saganaga 5 mi · Ecstasy 5 mi · Owl 5 mi · Elton 5 mi · Ada 6 mi · Makwa 6 mi
See how Mesaba stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best lake 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.