Gull Lake
Welcome to your ultimate Gull Lake fishing guide—designed to help every angler enjoy consistent success on one of Minnesota’s premier fisheries. Whether you’re launching from Cragun’s, Madden’s, or Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake, this resource is built to arm you with proven tactics and insider tips so you can bring more walleye, bass, and pike to the boat. My goal is simple: I want every angler—novice or experienced—to walk away with the knowledge of how to fish. Dive into the info below and fish smarter, not harder, on Gull Lake!
Opener - mid june
Locations
Grassy Point
Dutchman Point
stone boathouse bar
Walleye
Depth Zone: 5–16 ft
Structure: Shallow flats, weed edges, submerged points, and sand/gravel transitions
Tactics:
Slip‑bobber rigs tipped with leeches or crawlers in evenings and early mornings—effective in 3–6 ft near rocks/weedlines
Lindy rigs with shiners, red‑tail chubs, crawlers, or leeches on 6–12 ft flats
Jigging with minnow or plastics along weed edges and flats.
Trolling after dark with Floating Rapalas or Husky Jerks in 5-8ft near rocks/weedlines
Northern Pike
Depth Zone: 6–12 ft (late spring/shallow); moving deeper (post‑spawn)
Structure: Cabbage/weed flats, shallow depressions, flats north of Gull Point.
Tactics:
Cast or troll spinnerbaits, swimbaits, or red & white spoons along outer weedlines in 6–12 ft .
Jig tipped with sucker minnow fished slowly into cabbage zones north of Gull Point.
Largemouth Bass
Depth Zone: 3–10 ft
Structure: Cabbage beds, weed edges, emergent weeds
Tactics:
Jigs or plastic worms pitched into deep weed edges—slow retrieve
Slip‑bobber with crawler or leech in cabbage flat can be very good!
- Topwater can also work very well when the fish are in shallow water.
mid june - end of august
Locations
Bowtie Bar
cinosam flats
squaw point flats
Walleye
Depth:
12–20 ft on flats, weed edges, breaks
20–29 ft on sand/gravel humps and wind-blown structure.
Tactics:
Slip‑bobber with leeches or crawlers pitched to schools near weedlines—re‑casting every 2 minutes.
Jigging Raps and Smithwick Rogue Perfect 10 jerkbaits for flats and edges.
Longline trolling Floating Raps and Husky Jerks after sunset in 7–12 ft.
Elite Spots:
Brassier Bar, Bowtie Bar, & Squaw Point Flats – 14–18 ft just outside weedlines; peak when wind concentrates forage.
Cinosam Flats ridge – approx. 15 ft hump; effective with Lindy rig/redtail chub.
Bowtie/Tower Bar – look to the edges of the weedlines and subtle nuances of the weeds.
Northern Pike
Depth:
12–22 ft on.
In deeper summer spots (22–26 ft) off main-lake flats chasing ciscoes .
Tactics:
Jig + sucker minnow, spinnerbaits, Smithwick Rogue jerkbaits, and swimbaits pulled over weedlines
Trolling crankbaits near deep breaks during the heat.
Largemouth Bass
Depth:
6-16 ft near weed edges and outer flats; shallow in early, deeper as water warms .
Tactics:
Crankbaits (4–6 ft diving) burned along outer weed edges – guides target these in warm mid-summer months .
Jigs, plastic worms, spinnerbaits, topwater lures around cabbage beds and rocky flats .
september - november
Locations
center bar
rocky island
rocky point
Walleye (Fall Feed Phase)
Depth Zones: 22–42 ft (main-lake flats, break lines, windblown edges)
Behavior:
Walleyes switch to a fall feeding mode, targeting migrating ciscoes and other baitfish.
Tactics and Bait:
Lindy rig with live chubs (e.g. creek chub, red-tail chub) fished 6–12 in off the bottom in 32–42 ft, especially along wind-exposed points/edges.
Jigging Raps, Floating Raps, and Lindy with chub minnow effective in 22–32 ft area.
Trolling shallow (6–8 ft) with Floating Raps or crankbaits during low light periods also effective over shallow weed flats.
Northern Pike
Depth Zones: 8–16 ft (weed edges), deeper during October
Tactics:
Spinnerbaits, spoons, jerkbaits and swim-baits worked along weed edges and cabbage beds in 8–16 ft .
Troll/swim-baits or crankbaits around points and weedline drop-offs .
Largemouth Bass
Depth Zones: 10–14 ft (outer weeds & flats)
Tactics:
Jig + plastic worm, spinnerbaits, and topwaters near cabbage beds or transition zones (10–14 ft).
Shallow weed flats can still hold bass, but many feed slightly deeper as water cools.
Notable Locations for Walleyes
Wind‑blown flats & points in 32–42 ft: holding migrating baitfish—use Lindy rigs & chubs.
Deep breaks adjacent to cabbage/weeds (22–32 ft): trolling or jigging presentations.
Shallow flats (6–8 ft) during dawn/dusk: Floating Raps and crankbaits produce in low light .
Pro Tips for Fall
Wind direction matters: focus effort on windward flats with active baitfish—walleyes concentrate there .
Day length & light cycles: low-light periods are prime for shallow trolling; mid-day fish deeper.
Match bait size: fall baitfish are mid-large size—use appropriately sized chubs or minnows.