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21-acre lake near Itasca County. The lake tops out around 25 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 21 acres wrapped in 0.8 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. About 45% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 0.3 mi. Itasca County claims this one. If the bite dies, Sioux is 2 mi to the northwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. 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 Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (11 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (11 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for brown bullhead tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 21 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 21 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 Wilderness specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Wilderness is about 25 ft (8 m) deep 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.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, brown bullhead on Wilderness.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Wilderness 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.
Sioux 2 mi · Virgin 3 mi · Dixon 3 mi · Alice 4 mi · Round 4 mi · Mosomo 5 mi · Dunbar 5 mi · Little Dixon 5 mi · Greeley 6 mi · Sunken 7 mi · Natures 8 mi · Cut Foot Sioux(Main Bay) 8 mi
See how Wilderness stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best brown bullhead lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Itasca County fishing maps (371 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. 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.