Twenty-one Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Otter Tail County, MN)

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Twenty-one, MN

Max 47 ft

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Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Fall frog migration · forageSep 25 – Nov 10 · in ~3 weeks

Spring crawfish emergence · forageApr 1 – Jun 15 · in ~7 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 15 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~10 months

Know the rules

Minnesota DNR fishing regulations Buy a license

Minnesota season openers

Southeast trout	Jan 1, 2026	Southeastern inland streams
Stream trout	Apr 11, 2026	Statewide inland streams
Fishing opener	May 9, 2026	Minnesota waters
Muskellunge	Jun 6, 2026	Minnesota waters
Fishing opener (2027)	May 15, 2027	Minnesota waters

From the MN DNR seasons page (2026-08-10). Special regulations override statewide rules on many waters.

Seasons, limits and license rules vary by water and change every year — always check the official rules before you fish.

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Twenty-one

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Twenty-one on the board.

Fishing Twenty-one: what the data says

140-acre lake near Otter Tail County. The lake tops out around 47 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

Twenty-one maps at 140 acres behind 3.6 miles of shoreline, with 2 islands in the mix. A development index of 2.2 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 57% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.6-mi widest point. It sits in Otter Tail County. Bass sits 2 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.

Yellow Perch fishing at Twenty-one

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (21 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (21 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (40 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Twenty-one

Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Twenty-one

When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (21 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (21 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Twenty-one

Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (21 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (21 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (40 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Twenty-one

When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 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. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (21 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Pumpkinseed fishing at Twenty-one

The spring pattern is a shallow one: pumpkinseed in 1 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 10 ft, wintering in 6 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Twenty-one also holds brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 40 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 40 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 21 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Twenty-one fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Twenty-one specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Twenty-one?

Twenty-one is about 47 ft (14 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.

What fish are in Twenty-one?

Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Twenty-one.

Where is the best fishing spot on Twenty-one?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Twenty-one?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Twenty-one?

Fishing on Twenty-one 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.

Nearby waters

Bass 2 mi · Eddy 2 mi · Beers 3 mi · Brackett 3 mi · Grass 3 mi · Anderson 3 mi · South Lida 3 mi · Fladmark 3 mi · Kempfer 3 mi · Tonseth 3 mi · Mule 4 mi · Long 4 mi

See how Twenty-one stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill 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.