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LakeQuality

Bass Lake

Becker County, Minnesota130 acresView mapDirections

Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
12.8 ft
Clearer than most
Secchi · sampled 2021
Phosphorus
12.5 µg/L
Less phosphorus than most
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Chlorophyll-a
5.6 µg/L
Typical for Minnesota
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Max depth
48 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
130 acres
Surface area
Type
Mesotrophic
Trophic class
  • Mesotrophic
  • 48 ft max depth
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Bass Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 129.81 acres.

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at Bass Lake. DNR survey details →

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Bass Lake is a 130-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Bass Lake ranks #11 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Bass Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water12.8 ft of visibility
  • Boat launch1 documented ramp
  • Fishing13 species recorded
  • Deep water48 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited data

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.

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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.

Good clarity, visible to about 12.8 ft. Phosphorus 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 43.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)12.8ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus12.5µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)5.6µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.43Mesotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Bass Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

DNR fisheries survey

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.17 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. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-22 (Standard Survey).

10 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-22 (Standard Survey)

SpeciesCatch rate (CPUE)SizeAvg weight
Bluegill
26.46
2–9 in
2024-07-22
0.12 lb
Golden Shiner
13.99
Black Bullhead
8.76
5 in
2024-07-22
0.49 lb
Yellow Bullhead
7.51
7–12 in
2024-07-22
0.39 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

163 fish · 2–9 in · 2024-07-22
49250trophy 10″23456789

Black Bullhead

1 fish · 5–5 in · 2024-07-22
105

Yellow Bullhead

144 fish · 7–12 in · 2024-07-22
50250789101112

From the 2024-07-22 survey

Bass Lake is a small (128 acre), relatively deep (48-foot maximum depth) lake located in east-central Becker County. The lakeshore is not heavily developed, with much of the north and east shorelines being county tax forfeited land. Becker County's Chilton Park is on the middle of the east shore, consisting of a boat…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

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).

Lake Details

Max depth

48 ft

Surface area

130 acres

Shoreline

2.8 mi

Littoral zone

63%

Share shallower than 15 ft

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

5 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,539 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public 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

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Fish Species

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Bass Lake

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: 12.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 48 ft. Surface area: 129.81 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is Bass Lake?

Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 48 feet. The lake covers 129.81 acres.

What fish are in Bass Lake?

Fish species found in Bass Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bass Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.

Fish on this page ↑

What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bass Lake?

Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 0.17 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. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.

DNR on this page ↑

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.

Access on this page ↑

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.

Access on this page ↑

Where this data comes from

15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA15 samples · 2021

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory