Bass Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Bass Lake pulls an A: clarity at 11.2 ft and 12 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI near 41 places Bass Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's 50 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake's 126 acres and 3.2 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within Becker County's 93 graded waters, Bass Lake sits at rank 19, near the top of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Bass Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Bass Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.