Lake Whitefish fishing at Thorning Lake

In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 25 to 82 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 70 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.

Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Thorning Lake

Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 80 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 70 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.

Walleye fishing at Thorning Lake

Spring walleye on Thorning Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 37 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Yellow Perch fishing at Thorning Lake

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.

Northern Pike fishing at Thorning Lake

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Burbot fishing at Thorning Lake

Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 82 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 70 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.

How deep is Thorning Lake?

Thorning Lake is about 82 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 Thorning Lake?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, burbot, cisco (lake herring) on Thorning Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Thorning Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 70 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Thorning Lake?

For lake whitefish, 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.