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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
66-acre lake near String County. The lake tops out around 3 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 66 acres of water rimmed by 1.6 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.4 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. End to end it runs roughly 0.6 mi, about 0.3 mi across. You'll find it in Cottonwood County. The nearest mapped water is Timber, 3 mi to the south.
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 1 to 3 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 3 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 3 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 3 ft of water and rates good come fall. 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.
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 3 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 1 to 3 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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 1 to 3 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 3 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 3 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm 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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 3 ft covers summer, 1 to 3 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 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.
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 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 3 ft covers summer, 1 to 3 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 3 ft range, good in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 1 to 3 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 3 ft through summer, 1 to 3 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 3 ft of water that rates good for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in 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 3 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 1 to 3 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. Spring common carp concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning 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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) |
String also holds black bullhead (1 to 3 ft in summer), green sunfish (1 to 3 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 3 ft, is the deepest of them.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Northern Pike (fingerlings) | 416 | — |
| 2025* | Walleye (fry) | 325,218 | — |
| 2024* | Northern Pike (fingerlings) | 241 | — |
| 2024* | Walleye (fry) | 325,000 | — |
* 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 String specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
String is about 3 ft (1 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, crappie, channel catfish, common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish on String.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 3 ft of water that rates good for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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, String was most recently stocked 2025 with 416 northern pike (fingerlings). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on String 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.
Timber 3 mi · Cottonwood 5 mi · Summit 6 mi · Fish 8 mi · Bingham 8 mi · Flahtery 8 mi · Arnold's 9 mi · Heron (South Heron) 10 mi · Independence 10 mi · Carey 10 mi · Round 10 mi · South Clear 11 mi
See how String stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cottonwood County fishing maps (14 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.