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358-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 15 ft. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1940, a decades-old survey (a topographic-map survey). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 358 acres, worked by 6.2 miles of shoreline. A development index of 2.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.8 mi with a 1-mi widest point. It sits in Cook County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Wills, is 2 mi to the southwest.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 15 ft covers summer, 5 to 15 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 15 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Tait hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Tait hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 10 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring pumpkinseed concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Tait carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 15 ft down.
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 Tait specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Tait is about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1940, a decades-old survey (a topographic-map survey).
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Tait.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Tait 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.
Wills 2 mi · Williams 2 mi · Lichen 3 mi · Little Cascade 3 mi · Jock Mock 3 mi · Gust 3 mi · Holly 3 mi · Kinogami 3 mi · Bouder 4 mi · Mistletoe 4 mi · Cascade 4 mi · Fleck 4 mi
See how Tait stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.