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16-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 16 acres wrapped in 1 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi. It sits in Cook County. If the bite dies, Partridge is 1 mi to the southeast.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 1 to 5 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 5 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 5 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.
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 | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Rat hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 5 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
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 | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The chart marks 4 structure features on Rat; the deepest is Main-lake point at about 5 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 Rat specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Rat is about 5 ft (2 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, smallmouth bass on Rat.
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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Rat 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.
Partridge 1 mi · Dunn 1 mi · East Otter 2 mi · North Lake 2 mi, ON · Duncan 2 mi · Sock 2 mi · South 2 mi · Moss 2 mi · Rose Lake 2 mi, ON · Birch 3 mi · Leo 3 mi · Topper 3 mi
See how Rat stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 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.