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Fishing Upper Pauness: what the data says
192-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 15 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.
Walleye fishing at Upper Pauness
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Upper Pauness
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Upper Pauness
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 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 3 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Upper Pauness
Spring smallmouth bass on Upper Pauness hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Upper Pauness
Spring bluegill on Upper Pauness hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Burbot fishing at Upper Pauness
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 5 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 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 Upper Pauness?
Upper Pauness is about 15 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 Upper Pauness?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, burbot on Upper Pauness.
Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Pauness?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Upper Pauness?
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.
Nearby waters
Lower Pauness · Shell · Heritage · Loon · Jeanette · Lynx
See how Upper Pauness stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
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