Smallmouth bass Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 444 Minnesota lakes · 117 in Michigan

Rough fish like Smallmouth bass are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 117 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Smallmouth bass is moderately distributed — 117 lakes in Michigan. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Smallmouth bass lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Smallmouth bass documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

444

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

196

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Smallmouth bass Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	65 ft
2	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
3	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	84 ft
4	Round Lake	Cook	A	16.5 ft	45 ft
5	Long Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	37 ft
6	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
7	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	63 ft
8	Clear Lake	Aitkin	A	15 ft	24 ft
9	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
10	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	69 ft
11	Birch Lake	Cook	A	18 ft	69 ft
12	Birch Lake	Unknown	A	15 ft	34 ft
13	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17.6 ft	81 ft
14	Bass Lake	Itasca	A	18.2 ft	65 ft
15	Bass Lake	Cass	A	-	55 ft
16	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	54 ft
17	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
18	Lower Bottle Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	110 ft
19	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	17 ft	78 ft
20	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.5 ft	40 ft
21	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
22	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
23	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
24	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
25	Pike Lake	Cook	A	17.4 ft	45 ft
26	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	16 ft	135 ft
27	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	157 ft
28	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17.1 ft	52 ft
29	Bear Lake	Lake	A	17.4 ft	31 ft
30	Blue Lake	Hubbard	A	17.3 ft	84 ft
31	Sand Lake	Cass	A	20 ft	54 ft
32	Island Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	38 ft
33	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	76 ft
34	Portage Lake	Cass	A	21 ft	84 ft
35	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
36	Eagles Nest Lake	St. Louis	A	15.5 ft	49 ft
37	Mukooda Lake	St. Louis	A	16.6 ft	78 ft
38	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	16.1 ft	112 ft
39	George Lake	Kandiyohi	A	15 ft	34 ft
40	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	A	15.1 ft	40 ft
41	Upper Bottle Lake	Hubbard	A	16 ft	55 ft
42	Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	115 ft
43	Caribou Lake	Itasca	A	31 ft	152 ft
44	Kimball Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.4 ft	77 ft
45	Serpent Lake	Crow Wing	A	25 ft	65 ft
46	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.7 ft	105 ft
47	Hatch Lake	Itasca	A	15.3 ft	88 ft
48	North Twin Lake	Beltrami	A	17.4 ft	59 ft
49	North Star Lake	Itasca	A	19 ft	90 ft
50	Pleasant Lake	Cass	A	15.5 ft	72 ft

Showing top 50 of 444 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have smallmouth bass?

Smallmouth bass are found in 444 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota?

The best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota by water quality are East Fox Lake, North Long Lake, Bad Medicine Lake, Round Lake, Long Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.