Little Bass Lake
Little Bass Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 362.57 acres.
- Clarity
- 16 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- 22 ft
- Area
- 363 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 16
- Open water
- 216 days
Next lake in Beltrami County
Little Bass Lake is a 363-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 22 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Little Bass Lake ranks #24 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Little Bass Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little 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.
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Water Temperature
Little Bass Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 82 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Bass Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Bass Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (199,526 cells/mL) on April 25, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 363 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 79% |
| Public Access | No |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fishing Little Bass Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-08-15 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 21.56 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 11.44 | 2.27 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.75 | 0.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 8.38 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.19 | 1.44 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.06 | 0.23 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
From the 1990-08-15 survey
THE LAKE HAS NOT BEEN SURVEYED FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS. HOWEVER, NORTHERN PIKE HAVE EXHIBITED A HIGH RECRUITMENT OVER THE YEARS AND NOW HAVE DOMI NATED THE POPULATION. THE OTHER SPECIES, YEP, BLC , BLG, ARE TYPICAL OF THIS LAKE CLASSIFICATION AND ARE PRESENT IN NUMBERS SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS OBSERV ED DURING THE LAST…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Bass Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little BassFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little BassFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.084 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.34 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.06 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (47 observations).
Estimated open water season: 216 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 1981-04-01 (1981) | 1996-05-05 (1996) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-10 (2018) | 2024-11-26 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-18
EPA Impairment Status
Little 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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN04-0132-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.55 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #24 of 85 lakes in Beltrami County
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Little Bass Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Bass Lake?
- Little Bass Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 362.57 acres.
Is Little Bass Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Little Bass Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Bass Lake?
- Little Bass Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 82 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Bass Lake?
- Little Bass Lake has a maximum depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 362.57 acres.
When does Little Bass Lake thaw?
- Little Bass Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Nov 18. The open water season is approximately 216 days.
Does Little Bass Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Bass Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (199,526 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Little Bass Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Beltrami County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
165 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
MNPCA165 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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate