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Brainerd to Fort Ripley The river tops out around 11 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 697 acres wrapped in 40.4 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 10.9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Tip to tip the water measures near 15.2 mi with a 3.9-mi widest point. Crow Wing County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Crow Wing, is 2 mi to the southwest.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 11 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 11 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 11 ft. Start at Riffle & run (mile 8.7). It's a rock pile holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 8.7) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 8.7) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 3.1) (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 3.1) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts walleye 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. Spring walleye concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 8.7), a prime-rated rock pile around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 8.7) (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & night | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 11 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 11 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 3.1). It's a current seam holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 3.1) (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 3.1) (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 3.1) (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 11 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 11 ft, winter 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) |
The chart marks 10 structure features on Mississippi River (Brainerd); the deepest is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at about 8 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 (Brainerd) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Mississippi River (Brainerd) 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 smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, channel catfish on Mississippi River (Brainerd).
Riffle & run (mile 8.7) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning 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 Mississippi River (Brainerd) 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.
Crow Wing 2 mi · Hardy 3 mi · Round 5 mi · Sylvan 5 mi · Perch 6 mi · White Sand 6 mi · Unnamed Lake (Morrison County) 6 mi · Sebie 6 mi · Cockburn 7 mi · Fosdick 7 mi · Middle Whipple 7 mi · Red Sand 8 mi
See how Mississippi River (Brainerd) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Crow Wing County fishing maps (202 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.