Lake depth chart
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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
62-acre reservoir near Olmsted County. The lake tops out around 22 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 62 acres wrapped in 2.1 miles of bank. With a 1.9 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 87% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 0.5 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. It sits in Olmsted County. If the bite dies, Willow Reservoir 4 is 3 mi to the east.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 7 to 22 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
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 | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 7 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 19 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 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 small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
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 | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season green sunfish use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 22 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a micro jig or a small grub and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig, Small grub |
| Fall | 4 to 16 ft | midday | open water | Small jig, Micro crankbait |
| Winter | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tiny hair jig, Micro spoon |
Come spring, look for yellow bullhead tight to the bank in 2 to 9 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark.
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 | 2 to 9 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 19 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 Willow Reservoir 6A specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Willow Reservoir 6A is about 22 ft (7 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, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, yellow bullhead on Willow Reservoir 6A.
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. Open the map above to see every rated 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 Willow Reservoir 6A 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.
Willow Reservoir 4 3 mi · Silver 7 mi · Foster-Arend 9 mi · Bear Creek Reservoir 9 mi · Shady 16 mi · Pine Lawn 16 mi · Zumbro 16 mi · South Branch Root River 26 mi · Ramsey Mill Pond 28 mi · Whitewater River 28 mi · Louise Mill Pond 29 mi · East Side 30 mi
See how Willow Reservoir 6A stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Olmsted County fishing maps (7 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.