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61-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 30 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Moran maps at 61 acres behind 1.4 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 42% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 0.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. It sits in St. Louis County. If the bite dies, West is 2 mi to the northwest.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
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 | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Moran hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
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 | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Moran hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 26 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
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 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Moran hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 10 ft, wintering in 6 to 18 ft. Spring pumpkinseed concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 26 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Moran specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Moran 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 yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Moran.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, 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 Moran 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.
West 2 mi · Day 2 mi · Long 2 mi · Libby 3 mi · Horsehead 3 mi · Hobson 4 mi · Stingy 5 mi · Dollar 6 mi · Bower 6 mi · Buck 6 mi · Island 6 mi · McCormack 7 mi
See how Moran stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: St. Louis County fishing maps (429 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.