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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
Milaca to Anoka mouth The river tops out around 6 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Rum River draws 5,059 acres inside 163.6 miles of shoreline. An index of 16.4 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 40.8 mi, about 17 mi across. You'll find it in Isanti County. The nearest mapped water is Blue (North Bay), 2 mi to the west.
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Spring smallmouth bass concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 5.0), a prime-rated rock pile around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
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 | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 5.0) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 5.0) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 5.0) (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 6.8) (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring walleye on Rum River hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Lowhead weir tailrace — dam tailrace, 5 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
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 | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Lowhead weir tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
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 | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.8) (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 6.8) (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 6.8) (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 6 ft covers summer, 2 to 6 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 81.6), an eddy pocket in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
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 6 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 81.6) (3 ft) |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait 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 6 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.8) (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Tailout eddy (mile 81.6) — eddy pocket, 3 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
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 | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 81.6) (3 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 81.6) (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 81.6) (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 38 features, led in depth by Lowhead weir tailrace at roughly 5 ft.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Rum River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Rum River is about 6 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 smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, common carp, largemouth bass, yellow perch on Rum River.
Riffle & run (mile 5.0) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth bass, 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.
Fishing on Rum River 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.
Blue (North Bay) 2 mi · Baxter 2 mi · Blue (South Bay) 3 mi · Sandy 4 mi · East Hunter 5 mi · West Hunter 5 mi · Long 5 mi · Francis 6 mi · Fremont 6 mi · Green 7 mi · Spectacle 7 mi · Burns 7 mi
See how Rum River 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
More water nearby: Isanti County fishing maps (20 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.