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441-acre lake near Otter Tail County. The lake tops out around 11 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.
Traced from the shoreline, Tamarac runs 441 acres with 5.9 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. The basin spans about 1.5 mi end to end and 0.9 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Otter Tail County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Sand, 2 mi southeast of here.
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 3 to 11 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 11 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is 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 | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 11 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 11 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 11 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 11 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 11 ft covers summer, 3 to 11 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season rock bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 11 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 11 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 8 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Tamarac also holds crappie (3 to 11 ft in summer), bluegill (3 to 11 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 11 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Tamarac carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 9 ft down.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Black Crappie (adults) | 200 | — |
| 2025* | Bluegill Sunfish (adults) | 315 | — |
| 2025* | Largemouth Bass (adults) | 37 | — |
| 2025* | Yellow Perch (adults) | 490 | — |
| 2024* | Black Crappie (adults) | 150 | — |
| 2024* | Bluegill Sunfish (adults) | 300 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Tamarac specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Tamarac is about 11 ft (3 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, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Tamarac.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. 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.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Tamarac was most recently stocked 2025 with 200 black crappie (adults). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Tamarac 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.
Sand 2 mi · Pete 3 mi · Lizzie (north portion) 4 mi · Fish 4 mi · Pelican 4 mi · Grove 4 mi · Prairie 4 mi · Ida 4 mi · Rush-Lizzie(south portion 5 mi · Franklin 5 mi · Unnamed Lake (Otter Tail County) 6 mi · West Olaf 7 mi
See how Tamarac stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Otter Tail County fishing maps (156 charts). 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.