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758-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 130 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 758 acres wrapped in 8.3 miles of bank. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 37% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.8 mi with a 1.2-mi widest point. It sits in St. Louis County. If the bite dies, Rocky is 1 mi to the north.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 111 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (33 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (111 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (33 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (59 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 40 to 80 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Winter cisco (lake herring) concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 59 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (59 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (59 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
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 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Oyster 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 6 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 (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Oyster hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 33 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (33 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (33 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts rock bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 20 ft, wintering in 12 to 30 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | open water | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | open water | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Oyster also holds burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 111 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 Oyster specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Oyster is about 130 ft (40 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 lake trout, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass, burbot on Oyster.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 111 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For lake trout, 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 Oyster 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.
Rocky 1 mi · Chase 2 mi · Emerald 2 mi · Hustler 2 mi · Green 2 mi · Profit 3 mi · Agnes 3 mi · Pekan 3 mi · Ramshead 3 mi · Little Hustler 3 mi · Ge-Be-On-Equat 4 mi · Lynx 4 mi
See how Oyster stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best lake trout 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.