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Fond du Lac dam to Duluth harbor (estuary walleye) The river tops out around 50 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Channel bar / point (mile 7.4). It's a point holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (20 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (20 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (38 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts muskellunge in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Summer muskellunge concentrate at Channel bar / point (mile 7.4), a prime-rated point around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (20 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (20 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 3.1) (28 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel bar / point (mile 7.4), a point in the 20 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 3.1) (28 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 3.1) (28 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (20 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 3.1) (28 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel bar / point (mile 7.4), a point in the 20 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (20 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (20 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 38 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (38 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (38 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (38 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in the 38 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 3.1) (28 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (38 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (38 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Saint Louis River also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 7 structure features on Saint Louis River; the deepest is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at about 38 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 Saint Louis River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Saint Louis River is about 50 ft (15 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 walleye, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, northern pike, channel catfish, crappie, common carp on Saint Louis River.
Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) is the top-rated area: a point in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Saint Louis 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.
St. Louis River Estuary 6 mi · Fond du Lac Reservoir 6 mi · Forbay 8 mi · Thomson Reservoir 10 mi · Scanlon Reservoir 11 mi · Knife Falls Reservoir 12 mi · Pike 13 mi · Venoah 13 mi · Wild Rice 13 mi · Mud 14 mi · Cloquet Res. 14 mi · Chub 14 mi
See how Saint Louis River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Douglas County fishing maps (103 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or 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.