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Rating depth structure for brown trout.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
39-acre lake near Lake County. The lake tops out around 8 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Traced from the shoreline, Sonju runs 39 acres with 1.5 miles of edge. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Call it 0.7 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Lake County. For a second option, Twenty Three lies 1 mi northeast.
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 1 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm 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 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 1 to 8 ft. Put Shoreline break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 4 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
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 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (4 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 7 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 Sonju specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Sonju is about 8 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 brook trout, brown trout on Sonju.
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook trout, 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 Sonju 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.
Twenty Three 1 mi · Cramer Homestead 2 mi · Blesener 3 mi · Balsam 4 mi · Benson 4 mi · Cramer 6 mi · Kowalski 6 mi · Kangas 6 mi · Moose 6 mi · Cabin 7 mi · Johnson 7 mi · Soup 8 mi
See how Sonju stacks up: best brown trout lakes in Minnesota · best brook trout lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Lake County fishing maps (313 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.