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Fishing Picket: what the data says
68-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 9 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.
Walleye fishing at Picket
Spring walleye on Picket hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Picket
Spring yellow perch on Picket hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Picket
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Picket
Spring smallmouth bass on Picket hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Picket
Spring largemouth bass on Picket hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Picket
In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for summer rock bass. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Picket also holds bluegill (2 to 9 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Picket?
Picket is about 9 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 Picket?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed on Picket.
Where is the best fishing spot on Picket?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Picket?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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
Mudro · Jacob · Grassy · Alruss · Nels · Tee
See how Picket stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
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