Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
20-acre lake near St. Louis County. The lake tops out around 50 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Yates maps at 20 acres behind 1 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 33% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 0.4 mi long. St. Louis County claims this one. Forsyth Pit sits 0 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring northern pike on Yates hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Yates 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 chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (23 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Shoreline break (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yates carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 43 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Yates specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Yates is about 50 ft (15 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 northern pike, crappie on Yates.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Yates 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.
Forsyth Pit 0 mi · Kinney 0 mi · Doherty 3 mi · Iron Chief Complex 3 mi · West Two Rivers Reservoir 4 mi · Stubler Pit 4 mi · Judson Mine Pit 4 mi · Mott Pit 4 mi · Kendall 5 mi · Scott 5 mi · Majestic 5 mi · Mashkenode 6 mi
See how Yates stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: St. Louis County fishing maps (429 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.