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Owatonna to Faribault (Cannon trib) The river tops out around 6 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.
On the chart, Straight River draws 540 acres inside 44.7 miles of shoreline. A development index of 13.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 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 14.6 mi, about 2.4 mi across. You'll find it in Steele County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Cannon, 8 mi northwest of here.
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 6 ft covers summer, 2 to 6 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 20.5), a rock pile in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 20.5) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 20.5) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 2 to 6 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 6 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 6 ft. Start at Riffle & run (mile 20.5). It's a rock pile holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 20.5) (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (3 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 2 to 6 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 6 ft through summer, 2 to 6 ft in winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8), a creek channel in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (5 ft) |
Count 10 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8), sits near 5 ft.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Straight River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Straight River is about 6 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 smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish on Straight River.
Riffle & run (mile 20.5) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth bass, 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 Straight River 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.
Cannon 8 mi · Kohlmeier 8 mi · Wells 8 mi · Roberds 11 mi · Rice 12 mi · Cedar 12 mi · Sprague 12 mi · French 13 mi · Dudley 13 mi · Kelly 13 mi · Lower Sakatah 13 mi · Caron 14 mi
See how Straight River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or 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.