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Fishing Needle Boy: what the data says
43-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 15 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Yellow Perch fishing at Needle Boy
Spring yellow perch on Needle Boy hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Muskellunge fishing at Needle Boy
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 7 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Needle Boy
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Needle Boy
Spring crappie on Needle Boy hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Needle Boy
Spring bluegill on Needle Boy hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Needle Boy?
Needle Boy is about 15 ft 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.
What fish are in Needle Boy?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, muskellunge, yellow perch on Needle Boy.
Where is the best fishing spot on Needle Boy?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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.
When is the best time to fish Needle Boy?
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.
Nearby waters
Six Mile · Five Mile · Eagles Nest #2 · Four Mile · Eagles Nest #1 · Skeleton
See how Needle Boy stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best muskellunge lakes in Minnesota
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