Bass

Bass Lake is a small (128 acre), relatively deep (48-foot maximum depth) lake located in east-central Becker County. The lakeshore is not heavily developed, with much of the north and east shorelines being county tax forfeited land. Becker County's Chilton Park is on the middle of the east shore, consisting of a boat access and picnic area. The fish community in Bass Lake is dominated by Yellow Bullhead, Bluegill and Northern Pike. Northern Pike sampled in gill nets ranged from 9 to 33 inches, with an average length of 20 inches. The Bluegill catch rate of 10 fish per trap net in 2024 was the lowest since 1978 and was well below the lake average of 31 fish per trap net. Bluegills sampled in trap nets ranged in size from 3 inches to 8 inches, with an average length of just under 6 inches. Bass sampled ranged from 9 inches to just over 14 inches, with an average length of 11 inches. Black Crappie ranged in size from 5 inches to 11 inches with an average length of 8.5 inches. Only one Walleye, which was 23 inches in length, was captured in the 2024 survey. Other fish species sampled during this assessment included Yellow Bullhead, Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, hybrid sunfish, and Yellow Perch . Water quality and aquatic life in small lakes like Bass Lake are sensitive to even minor changes within the watershed. Property owners and those using the lake are encouraged to be mindful of how their actions may impact the lake and aquatic habitat.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Bass Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff starting August 13, 2018. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lakeshore and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sites with three sites sampled from the boat. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample two sites, and deep, soft sediments prevented the use of seines at three sampling sites-two were able to be traversed for electrofishing, but not for seining. Nearshore sampling captured 11 native species of fish including two species that are intolerant of disturbance (Blackchin Shiner and Iowa Darter) and one species that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish). Data from this targeted nearshore survey will be combined with trap net and gill net data from a 2018 standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. The FIBI score for Bass Lake from this survey is near an impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Crow Wing River Watershed assessment of surface waters process completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Bass Lake is a small (128 acre), relatively deep (48 foot maximum depth) lake located in east-central Becker County. The lakeshore is not heavily developed, with much of the north and east shorelines being county tax forfeited land. Becker County's Chilton Park is on the middle of the east shore, consisting of a boat access and picnic area. No aquatic invasive species have been documented in Bass Lake as of 2018. The results of the 2018 standard survey were quite similar to those seen in 2011, indicating that no significant changes in the fish population have occurred during the last seven years. The fish community in Bass Lake is dominated by Northern Pike and Bluegills. Northern Pike are abundant and relatively small, with an average length of 19 inches. Bluegills sampled by trap nets ranged in size from less than one inch to nearly eight inches, with an average length of just over five inches. Largemouth Bass are relatively abundant. Bass sampled ranged from five inches to just over 19 inches, with an average length of 10 inches. Walleyes are not stocked in Bass Lake, yet six were sampled during this assessment. The Walleyes sampled were generally large, with lengths from 22 inches to 25 inches. Black Crappie abundance was similar to past surveys, with fish ranging in size from six inches to 10 inches in length. Other fish species sampled during the 2018 assessment include Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, and White Sucker. Water quality and aquatic life in small lakes like Bass Lake are sensitive to even minor changes within the watershed. Property owners and those using the lake are encouraged to be mindful of how their actions may impact the lake and aquatic habitat.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Rock Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye in Bass. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Bass. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Bass has a maximum depth of 48 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Bass is from 2024.

No invasive species are on record for Bass in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.