Big Bass Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 29003200
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Big Bass Lake since 2016, most recently walleye yearlings in 2024 (93 fish).
- Big Bass Lake has 8 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2016-2024): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,559 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 60 ft; surface area 132 acres, 52 littoral acres, 2.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 25.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Hubbard County, nearest town Akeley; DNR lake number (DOW) 29003200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 93 | 24.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 289 | 46.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,505 | 56.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 75 | 50.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | adults | 82 | 51.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 306 | 30.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 107 | 27.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 102 | 51.0 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | Minnesota DNR | Located on southwest shore. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 45.89 | 413 | 0.24 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 4.89 | 44 | 0.22 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.51 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.27 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.44 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.55 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.50 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.13 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 9.50 | 57 | 0.56 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 20 | 0.14 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 10 | 2.85 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.14 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 6 | 0.04 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 2.67 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 5.82 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.69 |
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.
Big Bass is located three miles northeast of Akeley in Hubbard County. Big Bass has a surface area of 132 acres and a maximum depth of 60 feet. There is a state-owned public access located on the south shore of the lake. Big Bass provides fishing opportunities for Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, panfish, Northern Pike, and a bonus Walleye population. Big Bass is known for its exceptional water clarity. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Big Bass is in lake class 28. Class 28 lakes have the characteristics of being small bodies of water with a regular shaped shoreline, hard water, and high water clarity. Other class 28 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Emma, Dinner, Gilmore, Indian, Nagel, Thomas, and Williams. Anglers will find good populations of Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and panfish present in Big Bass. While sampled in low numbers in the 2023 survey, past surveys conducted in the spring with electrofishing gear specifically targeting bass, showed good numbers of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass in the 12-16 inch size range. Good water quality, aquatic vegetation, and spawning substrate provides excellent habitat for bass populations in Big Bass. Anglers will find good numbers of Bluegill in the 6-8 inch size range. Black Crappie abundance was up from past surveys with fish in the 9-11 inch size range. Black Crappie populations have fluctuated from low to moderate numbers in past surveys. Past and present surveys have shown the Northern Pike population to fluctuate from low to moderate numbers with moderate to quality-sized pike. Walleye abundance was down from past surveys and at the low end of the range typical for this lake class. Walleye up to 21.8 inches were sampled. Yellow Perch, an important Walleye forage species, were sampled in moderate numbers with fish measured up to 9.0 inches. Yellow Perch abundance has been low in recent surveys. Other species sampled in moderate numbers included Rock Bass and White Sucker. Yellow Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, and Green Sunfish were sampled in low numbers. Currently no Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) have been identified in Big Bass. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boats before leaving the access.
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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