Little Bass Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Lake County, Michigan. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Lake herring. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Little Bass Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Michigan DNR, last sampled 2022-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 19.5 ft down. Trophic State Index: 34.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 19.5 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Little Bass Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Bass Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.441 m/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.8 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Location & Depth Map
Free interactive depth-contour map of Little Bass Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 8 lakes in Lake County
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Explore Little Bass Lake across LakeGrade
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Lake County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Michigan's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Michigan
Manistee County · Excellent
Mason County · Clarity: 25 ft
Mason County · Clarity: 26 ft
Manistee County · Excellent
Manistee County · Excellent
Mason County · Clarity: 14 ft
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
More records, surveys & data sources
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 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601010101-03 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.16 km)
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth is a modeled estimate.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Most recent sample: 2022-09-11
Monitoring stations: 1