Little Bass Lake

Little Bass Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota.

Trophically, Little Bass Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. The lake's 62 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Little Bass Lake covers 161 acres alongside 2.4 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Within Itasca County's 141 graded waters, Little Bass Lake sits at rank 17, near the top of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Little Bass Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been logged at Little Bass Lake more than two dozen times, putting the median around Apr 21 — a useful baseline for tracking climate trends. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.