Bass Lake
Cass County, Minnesota195 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bass Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 194.75 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 25, 2023 caught 4.28 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–6 inches. DNR survey details →
Bass Lake is a 195-acre lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-06-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Deep water55 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.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 9µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Bass Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 25, 2023 caught 4.28 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–6 inches.
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
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-25 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-25 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 42.89 | 3–8 in 2023-07-11 | 0.09 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 24.61 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 16.83 | 6 in 2023-07-11 | 0.8 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 14.00 | 7–14 in 2023-06-20 | 1 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 12.44 |
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
Largemouth Bass
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2023-07-25 survey
Bass Lake is a 194 acre lake, with a maximum depth of 55', located six miles north of Outing in Cass County. Bass is in the Mississippi River-Grand Rapids watershed. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Ten 100' long sampling stations were evenly spaced…
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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bass (1550)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BassPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Surface area
195 acres
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Littoral zone
22%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,329 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 Cass 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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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bass Lake
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake is a lake in Cass 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 Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 194.75 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 55 feet. The lake covers 194.75 acres.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Bass Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bass Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bass Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 25, 2023 caught 4.28 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–6 inches. 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.
Can I fish at Bass Lake?
- Public access to Bass Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA2 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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