Black Bass Lake
Mille Lacs County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 48001100
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Black Bass Lake since 2025, most recently bluegill sunfish adults in 2025 (40 fish).
- Black Bass Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 1 year (2025-2025): bluegill sunfish (1), largemouth bass (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is bluegill sunfish: 40 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 23 ft; surface area 32 acres, 20 littoral acres, 1.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Mille Lacs County, nearest town Vineland; DNR lake number (DOW) 48001100.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 40 | 13.3 |
| 2025 | Largemouth Bass | adults | 10 | 12.5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| O | Minnesota DNR | - LOCATED WITHIN KATHIO STATE PARK. |
DNR fish survey, 2012
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 1/4-in trap nets | 15.00 | 15 | 0.01 |
| Tadpole madtom | 1/4-in trap nets | 2.00 | 2 | 0.02 |
| Largemouth bass | 1/4-in trap nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.02 |
| Yellow perch | 1/4-in trap nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.01 |
| Pumpkinseed | 1/4-in trap nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.01 |
| Bluegill | Special trap nets | 12.22 | 110 | 0.34 |
| Yellow bullhead | Special trap nets | 2.56 | 23 | 0.68 |
| Northern pike | Special trap nets | 2.33 | 21 | 2.41 |
| Pumpkinseed | Special trap nets | 2.00 | 18 | 0.24 |
| Brown bullhead | Special trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 1.49 |
| Largemouth bass | Special trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 3.53 |
| Golden shiner | Special trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.05 |
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.
A spring trap net assessment was conducted on Black Bass Lake to evaluate the fish community composition. The lake is a small, twenty-six acre basin entirely within Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. Designated as a Heritage Lake in 2005, special regulations were implemented that prohibits the use of gas and electric motors, augers, and any fish-finding electronics. Additional regulations include catch and release only for bass and northern pike and a five fish limit on sunfish. Snowmobile, hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country ski trails can be used to access the lake. There is also a backpack-in campsite on the south shore of the lake. Five standard lake survey trap nets were set and lifted twice for a total of nine sets. A quarter inch mesh trap net was used to check for forage fish as the lake was difficult to seine. Seven fish species were sampled in the standard nets used for the 2012 trap net assessment which included bluegill, brown bullhead, golden shiner, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed sunfish, and yellow bullhead. Bluegill were the most numerous of the species with 110 fish (12.2/TN) caught. The fish ranged from 3.5 to 10.9 inches in length with a mean length of 7.2 inches. Bluegill exceeding seven inches accounted for 52% (n=57) of the catch with 36% (n=39) more than eight inches, 15% over nine inches, and 4% (n=4) exceeding ten inches in length. Ages 1 through 10, 12, and 14 were represented in the 2012 trap net catch. All age groups up to Age 10 showed fast growth when compared to an Area Mean Back-calculated Length table. No comparisons are available for the two older age groups. The 2008 year class (Age 4) dominated the trap net catch, comprising 37% of the sample. Year class strengths suggest consistent, moderate recruitment. A spring trap net assessment was conducted in late April of 2002 which had only four trap net lifts. Six fish species were sampled which included bluegill, golden shiner, largemouth bass, northern pike, white sucker, and yellow bullhead. Bluegill were also the most abundant species in this assessment with 38 (9.5/TN) caught. The bluegill ranged from 4.6 to 9.3 inches in length with a mean length of 7.2 inches. Fish more than seven inches comprised 60% (n=23) of the sample with 34% (n=13) more than eight inches, and 8% (n=3) exceeding nine inches. Both trap net assessments met the lake management goals of maintaining a bluegill trap net catch of ten or more per trap net and 50% or more of the fish exceeding seven inches in length. Northern pike were the third most abundant species caught in the 2012…
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.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.