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Rating depth structure for common carp.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
240-acre lake near Wright County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
On the chart, Smith draws 240 acres inside 3.6 miles of shoreline. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 1.2 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Wright County. For a second option, Howard lies 3 mi east.
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. 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.
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 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) |
Spring black bullhead on Smith hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 4 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark 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 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: green sunfish sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. 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 micro jig or a small grub 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 5 ft chart-limited; documented 1 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig, Small grub |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Small jig, Micro crankbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tiny hair jig, Micro spoon |
Smith carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Main-lake point, about 5 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Smith specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Smith is about 5 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 common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish on Smith.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For common carp, 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 Smith 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.
Howard 3 mi · Cokato 3 mi · Brooks 4 mi · Dutch 4 mi · Ann 5 mi · Mud 5 mi · Yaeger 6 mi · Emma 6 mi · Chelgren 6 mi · Camp 6 mi · Little Waverly 6 mi · Collinwood 6 mi
See how Smith stacks up: best common carp lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Wright County fishing maps (115 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.