Bass

This survey used gill nets, trap nets and electrofishing to obtain updated information on the population status of Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Crappie, Walleye and Perch. Northern Pike abundance is higher than we'd like to see and the average size is small. About 70 percent of the gill net sample measured less than 20 inches. Good trolling for pike can be had however, and it shouldn't be too difficult to catch a limit of 10. We did catch one 33-inch fish so there are some larger pike present. A total of 72 Largemouth Bass were captured during the electrofishing-part of the survey. Average size was 9.2 inches and maximum length was 19.2 inches. Bluegill and Black Crappie were captured with targeted trap netting in early June. Bluegills are more abundant than crappies in Grey Eagle Bass. Bluegills are small for the most part, averaging 6.4 inches in length. A total of 27 crappies were caught when combining trap net, gill net and electrofishing captures. Average size was 9 inches, three of the 27 fish measured over 10 inches. Walleyes are scarce in Grey Eagle Bass, we didn't catch a single one in any of our gear types. Gill nets caught a total of three in 2015. Fingerlings have been stocked in years past, most recently in 2019 but survival appears very poor and a desirable population has not been established. The Yellow Perch catch was the same as Walleye - nothing. Perch populations in many area lakes experience declines or shifts to smaller body-size (not vulnerable to gill nets) due to high pike populations. This could be what's happening in Grey Eagle Bass. Grey Eagle Bass Lake is mostly undeveloped. Near-shore cattails and bulrush are common and water clarity was 15 feet, however there are times throughout the summer when algae blooms cast a green hue over the water's surface. There is a fishing pier next to the boat ramp on the north side of the lake.

A summer trap net survey was conducted on Bass Lake on July 30-August 1, 2018 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Bluegill and Hybrid Sunfish comprised a majority of the trap net catch. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was below the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 31 lakes and the average length was 5.3 inches, with 15% over seven inches. Conversely, the number of Largemouth bass sampled per net was above the 50% quartile for Lake Class 31 lakes. The fish data collected in this trap net survey will be combined with data from a June 2015 gill net survey and July 2015 survey of nearshore fishes to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (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. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g. Pugnose Shiner and Least Darter), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Green Sunfish). 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. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. The fish community of Bass Lake is relatively diverse, containing at least 17 fish species including several that are intolerant of degraded conditions. Data from the FIBI survey indicates Bass Lake is in exceptional health as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Sauk River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Bass Lake on 7/3/2018, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 29 survey sites evenly spaced 100 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: Shoreline Zone(the shore-water interface to the top of the natural bank), Shoreland Zone (land-ward from shoreline to development structure or 100ft), and Aquatic Zone (lake-ward 50ft of shoreline). The average lakewide habitat score was 75.3(+/- 3.8) out of 100 possible. Approximately 55 percent of the sites were developed with a mean score of 63.0(+/- 4.7), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 90.5(+/- 2.3).

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, 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 47 feet and a mean depth of 21.5 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.