Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
24-acre lake near Cook County. The lake tops out around 10 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Spring yellow perch on Whale hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. 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 10 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 10 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
How deep is Whale?
Whale is about 10 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 Whale?
Anglers target northern pike, yellow perch on Whale.
Where is the best fishing spot on Whale?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Whale?
For yellow perch, 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.
Shrike · Hand · McDonald · Zoo · Thrush · Eagle
See how Whale stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
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