Bass

Big Bass Lake is a 278-acre lake with 9 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 33 feet located south of Walker, MN. A US Forest service owned public access is located on the northeast shore off county road 49, a second carry down access is located on the southwest shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Big Bass Lake is in Lake Class 35; lakes in this class are shallow and irregularly shaped. Other area lakes in this class include Big Sand, Hovde and McKeown. Most of the shoreline is publicly owned and undeveloped. The lake is primarily managed for Black Crappie, Bluegill and Largemouth Bass and secondarily for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch. Partial winterkills are suspected to have occurred in Big Bass Lake in the past based on low dissolved oxygen observations during late winter. No fish kills have been confirmed at ice out and surviving fish have responded with strong reproduction, suggesting if a kill is occurring it is partial. Big Bass Lake is a multi-species lake that offers fishing in a wild scenic setting. Black Crappie abundance met the management goal and lengths ranged from 3 to 12 inches long. Bluegill were abundant and sampled at rate exceeding the management goal. Bluegill in this survey ranged from 3 to 9 inches in length. Largemouth Bass up to 13 inches were sampled. Management goals are based on spring electrofishing which was not conducted in 2022. Northern Pike abundance was above the maximum management goal and fish ranged in length from 12 to 29 inches. Northern Pike size goals were partially met in 2022. Yellow Perch catch rates were below the management goal but fish up to 11 inches long were sampled. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include, Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, and White Sucker. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Big Bass Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Big Bass Lake is a 264-acre lake located near Walker, MN that has 6.1 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 33 feet. There is a US Forest Service public access on the northeast shore off of County Road 49. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Big Bass Lake is in Lake Class 35; lakes in this class are shallow and irregularly shaped. This lake is primarily managed for northern pike and largemouth bass and secondarily for bluegill, black crappie, and yellow perch. Northern pike are abundant in Big Bass and the catch rate has been historically high for Big Bass Lake compared to other Lake Class 35 lakes. The mean length for northern pike was 22 inches and fish up to 37 inches were sampled. Spring electrofishing sampled many largemouth bass. The mean length for largemouth bass was 10 inches; fish up to 17 inches were sampled. Other fish species that are available to anglers to catch are black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, and yellow perch. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium- to large-sized fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain balance in the fish community in Big Bass Lake and provide anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Shoreline areas on the land and into the shallow water provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife that live in or near Minnesota's lakes. Overdeveloped shorelines can't support the fish, wildlife, and clean water that are associated with natural undeveloped lakes. The combined effects of all lakeshore owners "fixing up" their property can destroy a lake's valuable natural shorelines.Shoreline habitat consists of aquatic plants, woody plants and natural lake bottom soils.Plants in the water and at the water's edge provide habitat, prevent erosion and absorb excess nutrients. Shrubs, trees, and woody debris such as fallen trees or limbs provide good habitat both above and below the water and should be left in place. Natural lake bottom materials like silt or gravel are more ecologically productive than pure sand trucked in for a swimming beach. A tidy lawn and a sandy beach make great spots for sunbathing and swimming but do little to provide habitat for fish and wildlife. By leaving a buffer strip of natural vegetation along the shoreline, property owners can reduce erosion, help maintain water quality, and provide habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.Only if more lakeshore owners manage their shoreline in a natural condition can fish and wildlife populations on Minnesota lakes remain healthy and abundant. More specific information on protecting or restoring shorelines and watersheds is available through the local DNR Fisheries office.

Big Bass Lake is a 264-acre body of water located in northwestern Cass County about six miles south of Walker, Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical and chemical characteristics, and Big Bass Lake is in lake class 35. The lake is accessible through a US Forest Service access along Shingobee Township Road No. 49 at the northeast end of the lake. Most of the shoreline of Big Bass is owned by the US Forest Service. With its seven islands and winding, wooded shoreline, the lake provides a wilderness-like setting within a short distance from Walker. About 90 percent of Big Bass is less than 15 feet deep and the lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet. The lake is managed primarily for northern pike and largemouth bass and secondarily for bluegill and black crappie. Because of the large percentage of the lake basin that is shallow, Big Bass is subject to winterkill during some severe winters. During years with extreme ice and snow conditions, little light can penetrate through the ice and snow layers, so underwater plants cannot produce enough oxygen. In shallow lakes, fish, plants, and decaying bottom materials may use up the oxygen under the ice, causing fish to die. Big Bass suffered partial winterkill during the winters of 1964-65 and 1995-96. Largemouth bass was the only fish species severely affected by the 1995-96 winterkill. Big Bass Lake provides good angling for northern pike, bluegill, and black crappie. Most of the northern pike and black crappie sampled in 1998 were small. Because of the winterkill in 1995-96, larger bluegill were present. The winterkill reduced the number of bluegill, thus the remaining ones grew faster, reaching a quality size at a younger age. This quality is not expected to remain due to likely increased recruitment of young fish and the harvest of larger ones. Anglers could help maintain bluegill quality by releasing those 7 inches and bigger and keeping those smaller to eat.Due to the winterkill, bass fishing is not very good at present. There has been recruitment of young bass following the stocking of adults in May 1997. As these fish grow, good fishing should return. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium- to large-size fish. Releasing these fish will help maintain the fish population in Big Bass and provides anglers with opportunities to catch more and larger fish in the future. Large fish also help maintain balance in the fish community.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch 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 33 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Bass is from 2022.

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.