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Fishing Pickerel: what the data says
31-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 47 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.
Brook Trout fishing at Pickerel
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 21 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Splake fishing at Pickerel
In spring, splake run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 14 to 47 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for splake in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a trolled spoon at the thermocline or a white tube jig (deep) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small casting spoon (gold/orange), Inline spinner |
| Summer | 14 to 47 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon at the thermocline, White tube jig (deep) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 10 to 45 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon tipped with minnow head, Small white tube |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Pickerel
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 21 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Walleye fishing at Pickerel
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 21 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Pickerel
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 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 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 40 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 21 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Pickerel?
Pickerel is about 47 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 Pickerel?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, rainbow trout, brook trout, splake on Pickerel.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pickerel?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for splake in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pickerel?
For brook trout, 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.
Nearby waters
Side · Sturgeon · Perch · Little Sturgeon · Middle Sturgeon · Beatrice
See how Pickerel stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best rainbow trout lakes in Minnesota · best brook trout lakes in Minnesota
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