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39-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 34 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Stem draws 39 acres inside 2.1 miles of shoreline. An index of 2.4 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 70% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.7 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Cook County. The nearest mapped water is Tobacco, 1 mi to the east.
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 29 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Stem specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Stem is about 34 ft (10 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 northern pike on Stem.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For northern pike, 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 Stem 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.
Tobacco 1 mi · West Pipe 1 mi · Jack 2 mi · Vern 2 mi · Pipe 2 mi · Weird 2 mi · Whack 2 mi · Hilly 2 mi · Wee 2 mi · Kelly 2 mi · Midget 3 mi · Kinogami 3 mi
See how Stem stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 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.