Minnesota · Hennepin County
Bass Lake Fishing guide
Bass Lake is a 183-acre lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota, reaching 31 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeGood numbers10per gill net25"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 29 fish
BluegillFair numbers42.7per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 298 fish
CrappieJust a few2.3per trap net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 36 fish
Yellow perchExcellent numbers16per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Bass Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 78% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 78% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Bass Lake is a 182-acre lake with a maximum depth of 31 feet. The lake is in the city of Plymouth in central Hennepin County. No public boat access exists, however limited shore fishing opportunities are available via the Timber Shores Park walking trails.
A targeted survey (6 trap nets/2 gill nets) was completed on Bass Lake during the week of 8/15/2023 to monitor water quality and fish populations. Water color was brown, with poor water clarity, measured at 3.0 feet during the time of this survey. Dissolved oxygen reached zero parts per million (ppm) at a depth of 16 feet, meaning fish would be unable to use water depths greater than 16 feet during mid-summer.
Read the full DNR narrative
The predator fish community is mainly composed of Largemouth Bass and Northen Pike. Largemouth Bass are present in Bass Lake, although targeted boat-electrofishing did not occur during the 2023 survey. Incidental capture with trap and gill nets caught one Largemouth Bass, measuring 4.5 inches. High numbers of Northern Pike were sampled with gill nets (10/net), above the expected catch rate of similar metro lakes. There were 20 Northern Pike sampled in gill nets during the 2023 survey with an average length of 25.4 and the largest measured at 30.5 inches. The current population appears well balanced (a middle ground between high numbers of small fish and few numbers of large fish), providing decent angling opportunity.
The panfish community is primarily composed of Bluegill and Black Crappie. High numbers of Bluegill were sampled with trap nets (42.7/net) above the expected catch rate of similar metro lakes. There were 256 Bluegill sampled in trap nets during the 2023 survey, with an average length of 5.2 inches, and the largest measured at 7.1 inches. Less than 1% of the Bluegill sampled were greater than 7 inches. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were sampled with gill nets (11/net) and trap nets (5.5/net) near the expected catch rate of similar metro lakes. There were 36 Black Crappie sampled during the 2023 survey, with an average length of 6.9 inches, and the largest measured at 10.2 inches. Despite many small fish, the presence of Black Crappie greater than 10 inches is an encouraging sign for the fishery.
Other fish species sampled in low abundance were Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch.
Eurasian Watermilfoil, a submersed invasive aquatic plant has been found in Bass Lake and remains present. Eurasian watermilfoil can limit recreational activities on water bodies by forming mats on the water surface and alter aquatic ecosystems by displacing native plants. The most important action that you can take to limit the spread of milfoil and other aquatic invasive plants is to remove all vegetation from your watercraft before you move it from one body of water to another.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Bass Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Bass Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- City access: Timber Shores Park on lakes east side. Public fishing opportunities from LAKE IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE BASS LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOC
DNR bathymetry
Bass Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Eagle Lake · 296 ac · 1.8 mi
- Fish Lake · 238 ac · 2.9 mi
- Medicine Lake · 924 ac · 3.3 mi
- Parkers Lake · 100 ac · 4.5 mi
- Rice Lake · 366 ac · 4.5 mi
- Twin Lake · 217 ac · 4.7 mi
- Weaver Lake · 152 ac · 5.2 mi
- Crystal Lake · 79 ac · 5.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Bass Lake?
Bass Lake reaches 31 ft at its deepest point; about 78% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Bass Lake?
Bass Lake covers 183 acres with about 3.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Bass Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Bass Lake average 3 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Bass Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Bass Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Bass Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Bass Lake have a public access?
Yes. Bass Lake has one public access site: City access (Timber Shores Park on lakes east side. Public fishing opportunities from LAKE IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE BASS LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOC).
How big do northern pike get in Bass Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30".
When was Bass Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Bass Lake in 2023, the most recent of 4 surveys on record.
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