Bass Lake
Pine County, Minnesota228 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bass Lake in Pine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 228.48 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2019 caught 1.17 walleye per gill net at Bass Lake. DNR survey details →
Bass Lake is a 228-acre lake in Pine County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 24 feet (12-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-27. 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
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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.3 ft. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bass Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bass Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Sep (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 13 field readings (2016–2016) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bass Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2019 caught 1.17 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, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2019-09-09 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2019-09-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 19.37 | 3–9 in 2019-09-09 | 0.09 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 9.43 | 9–12 in 2019-09-09 | 0.39 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.77 | 5–19 in 2019-09-09 | 1.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.39 | 12–20 in 2019-09-09 | 1.81 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 3.23 | 7–11 in 2019-09-09 | 0.45 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
Brown Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2019-09-09 survey
Bass Lake is a small, moderately fertile lake located in northeastern Kanabec and western Pine counties. Although much of the lake is less the 15 feet, water clarity is higher than most area lakes. During the week of September 9, 2019 Bass Lake was surveyed to evaluate the present fish population. Sampling consisted…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bass Lake. 4 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 (0351)Aquatic Plant Report · 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
24 ft
Average depth
12 ft
Surface area
228 acres
Shoreline
3.2 mi
Littoral zone
65%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,112 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 Pine 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
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Nearby Lakes in Pine County
Frequently asked questions about Bass Lake
Where is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake is a lake in Pine 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 Pine County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 228.48 acres.
Is Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September, from 13 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2016). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bass Lake?
- Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 228.48 acres.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Bass Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bass Lake is located in Pine County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bass Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2019 caught 1.17 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, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA10 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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