Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at School Section
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing School Section: what the data says
87-acre lake near Freeborn County. The lake tops out around 4 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at School Section
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 2 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at School Section
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at School Section
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at School Section
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. 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 4 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at School Section
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is School Section?
School Section is about 4 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in School Section?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch on School Section.
Where is the best fishing spot on School Section?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 2 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 School Section?
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
White · Fountain (West Bay) · Fountain (East Bay) · Pickeral · Albert Lea · Morin
See how School Section stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.