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Granite Falls to Fort Snelling confluence The river tops out around 11 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Drawn out, this is 2,913 acres of water rimmed by 104.8 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 13.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 37.9 mi end to end and 6.4 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Scott County. For a second option, O'Dowd lies 1 mi southwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 3 to 11 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 11 ft through summer, 3 to 11 ft in winter. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.3), an eddy pocket in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 11 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (8 ft) |
Spring walleye on Minnesota River hold shallow, usually 3 to 11 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 11 ft in summer, 3 to 11 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Dam tailrace — dam tailrace, 9 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & night | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: freshwater drum in 3 to 11 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 11 ft through summer, 3 to 11 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2), a creek channel in the 8 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for the evening. Summer baits: a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (8 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (8 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Come spring, look for white bass tight to the bank in 2 to 11 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 11 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 11 ft. Start at Dam tailrace. It's a dam tailrace holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 11 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.3), an eddy pocket in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 25 features, led in depth by Dam tailrace at roughly 9 ft.
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 Minnesota River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Minnesota River is about 11 ft (3 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 flathead catfish, channel catfish, walleye, freshwater drum, white bass, common carp on Minnesota River.
Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For flathead catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark 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.
Fishing on Minnesota River 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.
O'Dowd 1 mi · Thole 2 mi · Schneider 2 mi · Unnamed Lake (Scott County) 3 mi · Shakopee Memorial Pond 3 mi · Pike 3 mi · Upper Prior 4 mi · Quarry 4 mi · Spring 4 mi · Lower Prior Lake 5 mi · Crystal 5 mi · Gifford 5 mi
See how Minnesota River stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota · best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota · best flathead catfish lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Scott County fishing maps (28 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or 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.