Bass Lake (Itasca County)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31031600
Bass Lake (Itasca County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Bass Lake (Itasca County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 65 ft; surface area 122 acres, 33 littoral acres, 2.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 21.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Togo; DNR lake number (DOW) 31031600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | county | - Small access with limited parking. |
DNR fish survey, 2020
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 10.80 | 54 | 0.15 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.60 | 3 | 0.45 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.40 | 2 | 0.06 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.20 | 1 | 0.79 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 10.00 | 40 | 0.10 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.50 | 22 | 4.40 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 4.50 | 18 | 1.84 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 4.50 | 18 | 0.87 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 4.50 | 18 | 0.28 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 2.98 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.22 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Bass Lake is unique, having the entire shoreline in county ownership and interspersed with camp sites. There is a modest earthen access on the west shore. The lake is small, 117 acres, with about a quarter of it less than 15 feet and a maximum depth of 65 feet. Lake types similar to Bass have moderate to low fertility. Mirror Lake is a near-by comparable lake. Bass Lake is within the North Central Northern Pike Zone which has a 22 to 26 inch protected slot length (PSL) with a 10 fish bag limit of which only two can be over 26 inches. Spear fishers have an exception with one fish allowed in the slot a day. Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass appeared to be well suited to the lake, while Largemouth Bass and Bluegill tended to have satisfactory performance. A lake management plan will be developed in 2021. Due to the relatively small size of the lake and low fertility, anglers can have a tremendous impact on the quality of the fishery. Anglers are encouraged to limit their harvest of large fish, but instead choose smaller individuals to help insure a quality fishery remains. Northern Pike catches have increased over time but have remind about average, within the expected range for lakes with comparable habitat. Size structure has typically been moderate. A few larger fish were sampled in 2020 showing the potential to grow large fish. Fish within the North Central PSL comprised 32% of the catch. Age determinations indicated a relatively even distribution. Growth was good, a little better than statewide averages. Northern Pike averaged 25.5 inches by age 4 in 2020. Northern Pike angling opportunities appeared favorable in 2020, however, anglers are encouraged to release large fish as very few fish over 28 inches have been sampled. Smallmouth Bass are popular with anglers and good opportunities exist in Bass Lake. Net catches had an increasing trend and were better than expected in 2020. The sizes of fish sampled in 2020 indicate a quality fishery, with fish up to 20 inches sampled. Age determination found fish up to age 7 in the sample with a somewhat even distribution. Smallmouth Bass averaged 14 inches by age 5 in 2020. Largemouth Bass catches have been variable but suggest the population in similar to comparable lakes. Size structure is encouraging with fish up to 20 inches sampled in 2020. However, few fish over 12 inches had been sampled in past surveys. Age determination identified fish up to age 9 and growth was below statewide averages. Largemouth Bass averaged 11.8 inches by age 5 in 2020. Bluegill were the most abundant species sampled in 2020.…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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