rock bass Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 707 lakes

rock bass is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 707 lakes carry documentation. With 707 Minnesota lakes and 0 in Wisconsin documenting rock bass, the species is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the rock bass lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and rock bass documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

707

Total Lakes

707

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

59 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of rock bass Lakes

341

48%

180

25%

111

16%

Best rock bass Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with rock bass ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
2	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	MN	A	105 ft	9
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
4	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
5	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	MN	A	84 ft	13
6	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
7	Birch Lake	Unknown	MN	A	34 ft	10
8	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	59 ft	15
9	Pike Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	60 ft	9
10	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
11	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	51 ft	12
12	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
13	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
14	Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	87 ft	11
15	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
16	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	12
17	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	72 ft	10
18	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
19	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
20	Maple Lake	Itasca	MN	A	39 ft	13
21	Shallow Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
22	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	135 ft	15
23	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	157 ft	9
24	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
25	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
26	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
27	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
28	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
29	Blue Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	84 ft	13
30	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
31	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
32	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
33	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
34	Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	12
35	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
36	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
37	Sand Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	12
38	Roger Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	12
39	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
40	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
41	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
42	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15
43	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
44	Bass Lake	Itasca	MN	A	65 ft	7
45	Bass Lake	Cass	MN	A	55 ft	12
46	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	45 ft	12
47	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
48	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	40 ft	13
49	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	32 ft	13
50	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	36 ft	9

Showing top 50 of 707 lakes with rock bass.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have rock bass?

rock bass are found in 707 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 707 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with rock bass is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for rock bass?

The best rock bass lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, Deep Portage Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Latoka Lake, Bad Medicine Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where rock bass have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with rock bass?

rock bass are most commonly found alongside northern pike, yellow perch, bluegill, walleye, black crappie. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.