Bass Lake
Becker County, Minnesota204 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 28 ft max depth
- Public access
Bass Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 204.16 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 5.50 walleye per gill net at Bass Lake. DNR survey details →
Bass Lake is a 204-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Bass Lake ranks #58 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 22
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.2 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.2µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bass Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 5.50 walleye 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 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 19.47 | 3–7 in 2025-07-28 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.11 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 9.00 | 4–7 in 2025-07-28 | 0.12 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.23 | 9–14 in 2008-07-28 | 1.09 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.97 | 3–7 in 2025-07-28 | 0.18 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
Yellow Perch
Brown Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
From the 2025-07-28 survey
Bass Lake is a 204-acre, class-29 lake located in northeastern Becker County approximately 10 miles north of Ponsford, MN. The lake lies within the boundaries of the White Earth Indian Reservation and is within the Mississippi River watershed. The lake's shoreline is lightly developed, with ten homes or cottages and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bass Lake. 3 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
- —Fish Stocking History — BassFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BassPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
28 ft
Surface area
204 acres
Shoreline
3.3 mi
Littoral zone
56%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
47 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,575 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bass LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bass Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bass Lake in Becker 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
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Follow Bass Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bass Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.95 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 22
Earliest Apr 8, 1981 · Latest May 11, 1979
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 19, 2005 · Latest Dec 19, 1998
Most recent ice-out
Apr 22
2007
61 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake is a lake in Becker 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 Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 204.16 acres.
Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 204.16 acres.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Bass Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Bass Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bass Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 5.50 walleye 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 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Bass Lake thaw?
- Bass Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 222 days.
Are there boat ramps on Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bass Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
Explore Bass Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
49 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX34 samples · 2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate