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145-acre lake near Olmsted County. The lake tops out around 13 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Shady draws 147 acres inside 8.1 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. With a shoreline index of 4.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Call it 1.4 mi long by 1.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Olmsted County. For a second option, Zumbro lies 3 mi east.
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 13 ft before dropping to 4 to 13 ft for winter. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 8 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 13 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 13 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring 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 | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rock bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 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. Best bite is the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig is the honest summer answer here.
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 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 22 ft | midday | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 13 ft before dropping to 4 to 13 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 11 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 13 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 13 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 13 ft; cold water stacks them 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.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (11 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) |
Shady also holds common carp (3 to 13 ft in summer), black bullhead (3 to 13 ft in summer), green sunfish (2 to 12 ft in summer), yellow bullhead (3 to 13 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 11 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Shady specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Shady is about 13 ft (4 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, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish, yellow bullhead 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Shady 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.
Zumbro 3 mi · Foster-Arend 8 mi · Silver 10 mi · Willow Reservoir 6A 16 mi · Willow Reservoir 4 16 mi · Bear Creek Reservoir 16 mi · Frontenac 26 mi · Lake Pepin 26 mi, MN/WI · Rice 26 mi · Whitewater River 27 mi · Cannon River 28 mi · Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) 29 mi, MN/WI
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
More water nearby: Olmsted County fishing maps (7 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.