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Fishing Stay: what the data says
218-acre lake near Lincoln County. The lake tops out around 6 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.
Walleye fishing at Stay
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 3 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Stay
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Stay
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Stay
Spring largemouth bass on Stay hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. 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 | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Stay
Spring crappie on Stay hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Freshwater Drum fishing at Stay
Spring freshwater drum on Stay hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for winter freshwater drum. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Stay also holds common carp (1 to 6 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Stay?
Stay is about 6 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 Stay?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, freshwater drum, common carp on Stay.
Where is the best fishing spot on Stay?
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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Stay?
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.
Nearby waters
Slough · Dead Coon · Hawksnest · Drietz · Goose · Benton
See how Stay stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota
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