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Fishing Upper Prior: what the data says
381-acre lake near Scott County. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at Upper Prior
Spring walleye on Upper Prior hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for walleye 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 | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Upper Prior
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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Upper Prior
Spring largemouth bass on Upper Prior hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Upper Prior
Spring yellow perch on Upper Prior hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Upper Prior
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Upper Prior
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 30 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Upper Prior also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 18 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Upper Prior?
Upper Prior is about 30 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Upper Prior?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, common carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Upper Prior.
Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Prior?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 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 Prior?
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
Spring · Unnamed · Lower Prior Lake · Cleary · Fish · Minnesota River
See how Upper Prior stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota
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