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Lock & Dam 3 tailrace through Red Wing to the head of Lake Pepin. The Upper Miss' most famous walleye and sauger water. The river tops out around 37 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) draws 2,410 acres inside 29.7 miles of shoreline, broken up by 2 islands. The 4.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 77% of this chart. Figure 10.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.2 mi at the beam. The water lies in Pierce County. For a second option, Gantenbein Lake lies 4 mi northwest.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter an 11 to 37 ft one. The chart's best answer is Cannon River mouth — inflow / creek mouth, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Cannon River mouth (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 37 ft | dusk & night | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, sauger slide up into 4 to 18 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter an 11 to 37 ft one. Start at Cannon River mouth. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Cannon River mouth (6 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | dusk | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 2 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 11 to 37 ft one. Start at Cannon River mouth. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Cannon River mouth (6 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 7.5) (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | Dam Number Three tailrace (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 11 to 37 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Channel bar / point (mile 7.5), a prime-rated point around 9 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 7.5) (9 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 11.2) (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.5) (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 11.2) (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Trenton backwaters, a prime-rated weed flat around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Trenton backwaters (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Trenton backwaters (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Trenton backwaters (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Trenton backwaters (8 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 37 ft. Cannon River mouth is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Cannon River mouth (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Lock & Dam 3 tailrace (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.7) (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.7) (13 ft) |
Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 9 features, led in depth by Outside-bend hole (mile 9.4) at roughly 22 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 Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) is about 37 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, sauger, white bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, crappie, bluegill, common carp on Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing).
Cannon River mouth is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 4 (Red Wing) 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.
Gantenbein Lake 4 mi, WI · Mississippi River - Goose 7 mi, MN · Frontenac 10 mi, MN · U.S. Lock & Dam #3 10 mi, MN · Vermillion River - Clear 11 mi, MN · Mississippi River Pool 3 (Hastings to Red Wing) 13 mi · Lake Pepin 13 mi · Nugget Lake 16 mi, WI · Vermillion River 18 mi · Kinnickinnic Pond, Upper 20 mi, WI · Rebecca 21 mi, MN · Cannon River 23 mi, MN
See how Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota · best sauger lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.