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Fishing West Pike: what the data says
788-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 120 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Lake Trout fishing at West Pike
Spring lake trout on West Pike hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 102 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at West Pike
Spring cisco (lake herring) on West Pike hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. 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 102 ft that scores good in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at West Pike
Spring smallmouth bass on West Pike hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Burbot fishing at West Pike
Spring burbot on West Pike hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 102 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 102 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 30 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 30 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is West Pike?
West Pike is about 120 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 West Pike?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, lake trout, burbot, cisco (lake herring) on West Pike.
Where is the best fishing spot on West Pike?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 102 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish West Pike?
For lake trout, 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.
Nearby waters
Mountain · Vale · Pemmican · Pine · Gogebic · Bench
See how West Pike stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best lake trout lakes in Minnesota · best burbot lakes in Minnesota · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Minnesota
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