Big Bass Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota337 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Bass Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
Big Bass Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 336.99 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 20, 2024 caught 291.89 bluegill per hour of electrofishing at Big Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–7 inches. DNR survey details →
Big Bass Lake is a 337-acre mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet (9-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Big Bass Lake ranks #34 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Big Bass Lake covers about 340 acres in Beltrami County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 22, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Big Bass Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Big Bass Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 22
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Big Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big 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 Big Bass Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big 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 10.5 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.1 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.1µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Big Bass Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 20, 2024 caught 291.89 bluegill per hour of electrofishing at Big Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–7 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Bass Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-05-20 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-05-20 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 43.33 | 2–7 in 2024-05-20 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.54 | 10–16 in 2022-06-22 | 1.08 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.39 | 11–36 in 2022-06-22 | 2.44 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.59 | 5–9 in 2022-06-22 | 0.12 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 4.63 | ||
| Pumpkinseed | 4.36 | 3–9 in 2022-06-22 | 0.24 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
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-05-20 survey
In spring 2021, a daily bag limit reduction for sunfish (5 fish/day) was implemented on Big Bass Lake as part of the statewide Quality Sunfish Initiative (QSI). The goal of this special regulation is to maintain or improve Bluegill size structure by reducing angler harvest. In order to evaluate effectiveness of the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big 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 — Big Bass (east basin)Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Big Bass (east basin)Fish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big Bass (east basin)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Average depth
9.2 ft
Surface area
337 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
93%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,342 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big 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 Big Bass Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Bass Lake in Beltrami 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 Big 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 Big Bass Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.74 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.45 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 22
Earliest Apr 18, 2004 · Latest Apr 26, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 12
Earliest Nov 7, 2003 · Latest Nov 21, 2007
Most recent ice-out
Apr 26
2008
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Big 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 MN04-0132-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Big Bass Lake
Where is Big Bass Lake?
- Big Bass Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Bass Lake?
- Big Bass Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 336.99 acres.
Is Big Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Big Bass Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Big Bass Lake?
- Big Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet and an average depth of 9.2 feet. The lake covers 336.99 acres.
What fish are in Big Bass Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Bass Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Big Bass Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Bass Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 20, 2024 caught 291.89 bluegill per hour of electrofishing at Big Bass Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–7 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Bass Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Big Bass Lake thaw?
- Big Bass Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Nov 12. The open water season is approximately 204 days.
Are there boat ramps on Big Bass Lake?
- Big Bass Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Bass Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Bass Lake?
- Big 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 Big Bass Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Beltrami County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Mississippi Headwaters, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Big Bass Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
87 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA87 samples · 2020–2025
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate