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197-acre lake near Lincoln County. The lake tops out around 7 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 197 acres wrapped in 2.6 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi, about 0.6 mi across. Lincoln County claims this one. If the bite dies, Perch is 3 mi to the southeast.
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 2 to 7 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Fall walleye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) 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 7 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 7 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 7 ft covers summer, 2 to 7 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with 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 | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 7 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 7 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage 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 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 7 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 7 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 2 to 7 ft game here, winter a 2 to 7 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through 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 | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, brown bullhead slide up into 2 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run 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 | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) |
Steep Bank also holds common carp (1 to 7 ft in summer), black bullhead (1 to 7 ft in summer), green sunfish (1 to 7 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Main-lake point, around 7 ft, is the deepest of them.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Walleye (fry) | 100,000 | — |
| 2024* | Walleye (fry) | 100,000 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Steep Bank specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Steep Bank is about 7 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 walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish on Steep Bank.
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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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, Steep Bank was most recently stocked 2025 with 100,000 walleye (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Steep Bank 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.
Perch 3 mi · Oak 4 mi · Drietz 6 mi · Popowski 6 mi · Hendricks 7 mi, MN/SD · Hawksnest 7 mi · Fish Lake 9 mi, SD · John Reservoir 9 mi · Porter Reservoir 9 mi · Shaokotan 9 mi · Oak Lake 10 mi, SD · Del Clark 11 mi
See how Steep Bank stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Lincoln County fishing maps (12 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.