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Fishing Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain): what the data says
7,714-acre lake near Crosslake. The lake tops out around 130 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Walleye fishing at Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)
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 Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| 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 |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)
Spring smallmouth bass on Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain) 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. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Best bite is 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 |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)
Spring crappie on Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain) hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)
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. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| 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 |
Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain) also holds yellow perch (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 128 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 54 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 40 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 40 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 36 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 16 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 10 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 8 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)?
Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain) is about 130 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 Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain).
Where is the best fishing spot on Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain)?
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
Arrowhead · Clamshell · Pig · Kimball · Bass · Clear
See how Whitefish Lake (Whitefish Chain) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.