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80-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 37 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Sunshine draws 80 acres inside 1.8 miles of shoreline. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 52% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. The water lies in St. Louis County. The nearest mapped water is Schultz, 1 mi to the northeast.
Spring walleye on Sunshine hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 37 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 17 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| 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 | Break off the point (17 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (17 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 |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rock bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 30 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 31 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Sunshine also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 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 31 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 Sunshine specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Sunshine is about 37 ft (11 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, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Sunshine.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 17 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.
Fishing on Sunshine 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.
Schultz 1 mi · Cameron 1 mi · Mirror 2 mi · Horseshoe 2 mi · Jacobs 2 mi · Flowage 2 mi · Clearwater 3 mi · Fish Lk Flowage(East Bay) 3 mi · Island Lake Rsvr(W.Basin) 4 mi · Island Lake Rsvr(E.Basin) 4 mi · Boulder 6 mi · Wild Rice 6 mi
See how Sunshine stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie 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.