Bass Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota57 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 58 ft max depth
- Limited data
Bass Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 56.98 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2001 caught 0.25 northern pike per gill net at Bass Lake. DNR survey details →
Bass Lake is a 57-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 58 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water58 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bass Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Bass Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bass Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Bass Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bass Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Apr (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (43°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 75 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bass Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2001 caught 0.25 northern pike per gill net at Bass Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bass Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-01 (Targeted Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-01 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 36.05 | 3–7 in 2001-07-02 | 0.1 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.09 | 5–9 in 2001-07-02 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.72 | 5–6 in 2001-07-02 | 0.12 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.76 | 2–5 in 2001-07-02 | 0.18 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 1.70 | 7–12 in 2001-07-02 | 0.77 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 0.67 | 15–16 in 2001-07-02 | 1.38 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
Pumpkinseed
From the 2025-08-01 survey
A temperature-dissolved oxygen (TDO) profile was collected on 8/1/2025 to measure the amount of thermal habitat available for Tullibee. The TDO3 (temperature at 3 mg/l dissolved oxygen) was determined to be 20.2, 18.0, and 6.4 degrees C at various depths, which is considered good for Tullibee survival. While water…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bass Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BassFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bass (0407)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
58 ft
Surface area
57 acres
Shoreline
1.4 mi
Littoral zone
28%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,224 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bass Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bass Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Bass Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Bass Lake’s readings
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Fishing Bass Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Bass Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Mcgregor WwtpMcgregor · 3.3 mi away · NPDES MN0024023
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 56.98 acres.
Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 75 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 56.98 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bass Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 2, 2001 caught 0.25 northern pike per gill net at Bass Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bass Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Bass Lake?
- Public access to Bass Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
68 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA68 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder