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Fishing Shady: what the data says
145-acre lake near Olmsted County. The lake tops out around 13 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.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Shady
Spring smallmouth bass on Shady hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Shady
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Shady
Spring rock bass on Shady hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Crappie fishing at Shady
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Shady
Spring bluegill on Shady hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Best bite is 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 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Shady
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday |
Shady also holds common carp (3 to 13 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Shady?
Shady is about 13 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 Shady?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, rock bass on Shady.
Where is the best fishing spot on Shady?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 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.
When is the best time to fish Shady?
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.
Nearby waters
Zumbro · Foster-Arend · Silver · Willow Reservoir 6A · Willow Reservoir 4 · Bear Creek Reservoir
See how Shady stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
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