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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
97-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 40 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Steep runs 98 acres with 3.8 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 2.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. About 73% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 0.9 mi long by 0.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in St. Louis County. For a second option, Eugene lies 1 mi east.
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Steep hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 12 to 40 ft in summer, 12 to 40 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 34 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic.
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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (34 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring rock bass on Steep hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 10 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in the evening. The summer box starts with a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 34 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 Steep specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Steep is about 40 ft (12 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 cisco (lake herring), northern pike, rock bass on Steep.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 34 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For cisco (lake herring), the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Steep 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.
Eugene 1 mi · Fat 1 mi · Beartrack 2 mi · Gun 2 mi · Little Loon 2 mi · Trygg 3 mi · Finger 3 mi · Takucmich 4 mi · Lac la Croix 4 mi, ON/MN · Loon 5 mi, MN/ON · Pocket 5 mi · Trout Lake 5 mi, ON
See how Steep stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best rock bass lakes in Minnesota · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: St. Louis County fishing maps (429 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.