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I have an opportunity to fish first depot Lake this weekend. There's pretty much zero information online about it. No depth charts, no anglers Atlas entries, etc..

Can anyone share some information about structure, general good places to start, etc.? I know there's walleye and probably crappie in there.

Always tougher in winter hiting a totally unfamiliar Lake.

I assume you're referring to the Depot Lakes down by Verona ?

I haven't ice fished on them...just open water, but 1st has Bass, Pike and Crappie...its quite small, stained and shallow....not sure about Walleye. Only spent a couple of hours on it a few years back targeting Bass, and if I remember correctly, it's is basically a shallow bowl with very little structure. The mouth of the creek that comes in on the NE end is where we spent most of our time...we got some decent LM in the pencil reeds and pads, a few hammer-handle Pike and a Crappie. Deepest part of the lake is along the NW shore.

A much better bet (IMO) would be 3rd and 4rd Depots (just to the NW). They are connected....separated by a small strait, but no dams. Some good sized Walleye (more quality than quantity)...water is quite stained, so bright colours work best. One mid-summer night a few years ago we pulled out back-to-back a 29" and 31" trolling orange J-13's. These are classic Shield lakes with lots of structure...points, humps and saddles...however, the bigger fish seem to suspend out in the deep basins...dusk to 1am is the time to be out there.

2nd Depot (separated by dams from 3rd, 4th and 1st) has Walleyes and Crappies too, but gets hit pretty hard because the Conservation Area and Campground is right there...lots of Bass fisherman in summer, but you do see the occasional Walleye..

Corvus Lacus wrote:I assume you're referring to the Depot Lakes down by Verona ?

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Yes, the Depot Lakes near Verona.

We have a hunting camp with land bordering on First Depot Lake, hence my interest in fishing it. Normally we are only there during hunting season (and therefore are focused on hunting). This year we have upgraded the insulation and heating so are able to go down mid-winter.