Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
212-acre lake near Ramsey County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1979, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map). Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 212 acres wrapped in 2.5 miles of bank. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Tip to tip the water measures near 1 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. It sits in Ramsey County. Its nearest charted neighbour, East Vadnais, is 1 mi to the east.
Spring northern pike on West Vadnais hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on West Vadnais hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 5 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on West Vadnais hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 5 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 1 to 5 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 5 ft. Spring pumpkinseed concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring brown bullhead on West Vadnais hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 5 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | dusk | Deep basin (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 5 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to West Vadnais specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
West Vadnais is about 5 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1979, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map).
Anglers target northern pike, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, common carp on West Vadnais.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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 West Vadnais 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.
East Vadnais 1 mi · Wabasso 1 mi · Twin 1 mi · Sucker 2 mi · Island (Basin N.of I-694) 2 mi · Island (Basin S.of I-694) 2 mi · Owasso 2 mi · Snail 2 mi · Gervais Mill Pond 2 mi · Gilfillan 2 mi · Willow 3 mi · Little Josephine 3 mi
See how West Vadnais stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best common carp lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Ramsey County fishing maps (45 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.