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Ford Dam down to the Hastings dam. The metro pool MN DNR calls the area's best quality walleye and sauger water; catch-and-release only for walleye, sauger and bass. The river tops out around 30 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 3,684 acres of water rimmed by 62.6 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 7.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 47% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 18.9 mi end to end and 7.1 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Dakota County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Unnamed (Bohrer Pond), 0 mi west of here.
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Start at Channel bar / point (mile 6.8). It's a point holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (23 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring sauger on Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) hold shallow, usually 4 to 18 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) — creek channel, 23 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait.
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 | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (17 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (23 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (23 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (23 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel bar / point (mile 6.8), a point in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (17 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Channel bar / point (mile 6.8), a point in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (23 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring white bass on Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) — point, 12 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish).
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 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (17 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel bar / point (mile 6.8), a point in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Channel bar / point (mile 6.8) (12 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) also holds channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) carries 16 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1), about 23 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 Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) is about 30 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 walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white bass, northern pike, channel catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, bluegill on Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings).
Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for sauger in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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 Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) 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.
Unnamed (Bohrer Pond) 0 mi · Marcott 3 mi · Sunfish 3 mi · Mississippi River - Pigs Eye 4 mi · Bur Oaks Pond 4 mi · Thompson 4 mi · Carver 4 mi · Rogers 5 mi · Pickerel 6 mi · Augusta 6 mi · Lemay 6 mi · Crosby 7 mi
See how Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Dakota County fishing maps (32 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.