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39-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1971, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map). The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 39 acres wrapped in 1.1 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.5 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. It sits in Cook County. Bigsby sits 1 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 4 to 13 ft game here, winter a 4 to 13 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 10 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Ward specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Ward is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1971, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map).
Anglers target northern pike on Ward.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Ward 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.
Bigsby 1 mi · Caribou 1 mi · Deer Yard 2 mi · Pike 4 mi · Turtle 4 mi · Christine 5 mi · Mistletoe 5 mi · Mark 5 mi · Holly 5 mi · Barker 6 mi · White Pine 6 mi · Williams 7 mi
See how Ward stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cook County fishing maps (351 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.