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Fishing Rat: what the data says
16-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 5 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Yellow Perch fishing at Rat
Spring yellow perch on Rat hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Rat
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 5 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 5 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 5 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. 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 | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Rat?
Rat is about 5 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 Rat?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, yellow perch on Rat.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Rat?
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
Partridge · Dunn · East Otter · Moss · Duncan · Sock
See how Rat stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
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