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179-acre lake near Rice County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 2008 (a DNR lake survey). Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Sprague draws 179 acres inside 2.9 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. End to end it runs roughly 0.7 mi, about 0.6 mi across. The water lies in Rice County. The nearest mapped water is Lower Sakatah, 2 mi to the northwest.
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 3 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) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring white bass on Sprague hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 1 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (5 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Sprague also holds bluegill (1 to 5 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (1 to 5 ft in summer), brown bullhead (1 to 5 ft in summer), freshwater drum (1 to 5 ft in summer), common carp (1 to 5 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Sprague carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 5 ft down.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Walleye (fry) | 447,500 | — |
| 2024* | Walleye (fry) | 890,000 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Sprague specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Sprague is about 5 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 2008 (a DNR lake survey).
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, freshwater drum, common carp on Sprague. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Sprague was most recently stocked 2025 with 447,500 walleye (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Sprague 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.
Lower Sakatah 2 mi · Upper Sakatah Lake 3 mi · Horseshoe 4 mi · Caron 6 mi · Cedar 6 mi · Lake Tetonka 6 mi · Reeds 7 mi · Toner's 7 mi · Sunfish 7 mi · Cannon 7 mi · Rice 8 mi · Lily 8 mi
See how Sprague stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Rice County fishing maps (20 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.