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Fishing Swamp River Reservoir: what the data says
163-acre reservoir near Cook County. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Yellow Perch fishing at Swamp River Reservoir
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Swamp River Reservoir
Spring northern pike on Swamp River Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Burbot fishing at Swamp River Reservoir
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Swamp River Reservoir?
Swamp River Reservoir is about 10 ft 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.
What fish are in Swamp River Reservoir?
Anglers target northern pike, yellow perch, burbot on Swamp River Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Swamp River Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Swamp River Reservoir?
For yellow perch, 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.
Nearby waters
Stevens · Otter · Moosehorn · Margaret · Tom · South Fowl
See how Swamp River Reservoir stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best burbot lakes in Minnesota
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