Bass Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota122 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 65 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bass Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 121.69 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2020 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 inches. DNR survey details →
Bass Lake is a 122-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including bluegill, largemouth bass, and northern pike. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Bass Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18.2 ft of visibility
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Deep water65 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited 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. Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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.
Crystal clear, you can see 18.2 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.4 µg/L. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 36 | 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.
Water Temperature
Bass Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 62 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bass Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2020 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 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
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-07-20 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2020-07-20 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 6.94 | 3–8 in 2020-07-20 | 0.21 lb |
| Rock Bass | 6.82 | 4–9 in 2020-07-20 | 0.28 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.04 | 8 in 2020-07-20 | 0.15 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 3.81 | 8–20 in 2020-07-20 | 1.09 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.43 | 14–36 in 2020-07-20 | 1.97 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 1.59 | 6–20 in 2020-07-20 | 0.43 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
Rock Bass
Yellow Perch
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2020-07-20 survey
Bass Lake is unique, having the entire shoreline in county ownership and interspersed with camp sites. There is a modest earthen access on the west shore. The lake is small, 117 acres, with about a quarter of it less than 15 feet and a maximum depth of 65 feet. Lake types similar to Bass have moderate to low…
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 (0646)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BassPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
65 ft
Surface area
122 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
27%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,391 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 Itasca 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
EPA Impairment Status
Bass Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0316-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 121.69 acres.
Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September, from 62 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 121.69 acres.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Bass Lake include bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch. Bass Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bass Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2020 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 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.
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Where this data comes from
16 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 Water
MNPCA16 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder