Minnesota · Itasca County
Little Bass Lake Fishing guide
Little Bass Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 161 acres, reaching 62 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 15.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers39per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 43 fish
2017Lengths measured · 4 fish
2007Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 28 fish
1997Northern pikeJust a few2per gill net24"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 13 fish
2017Lengths measured · 23 fish
2007Lengths measured · 50 fish
1997BluegillFair numbers32.2per trap net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 294 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 294 fish
2017Lengths measured · 231 fish
2007Lengths measured · 425 fish
1997Yellow perchFair numbers2.2per gill net5"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 16 fish
2017Lengths measured · 22 fish
2007Lengths measured · 24 fish
1997Rock bassGood numbers1.3per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 13 fish
2017Lengths measured · 33 fish
2007Lengths measured · 50 fish
1997Rates 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 Little Bass Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 15.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 62 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 15.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 62 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Largemouth bass | Walleye | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 18" | 24" | 32" |
| 2007 | 12" | 22" | 32" |
| 1997 | 7" | 25" | 32" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
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
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 2025 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Little Bass Lake on August 6th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 59.0 feet), the water temperature decreased below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 15.9 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 23.5 feet at the time of sampling. The thickness of this layer of water in the water column was 7.6 feet, indicating that oxythermal habitat was present for Cisco.
Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 12.6 degrees C (54.7 degrees F). TDO3 values cooler than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were suitable for Cisco at the time of the survey.
Read the full DNR narrative
Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 2023 also indicates suitable oxythermal habitat, with a oxythermal habitat layer of 10.7 feet thick. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Little Bass Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Little 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
- Little Bass Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Little Bass Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Shoal Lake · 676 ac · 1.7 mi
- Bass Lake · 2,715 ac · 2.6 mi
- Little Jay Gould Lake · 150 ac · 3.2 mi
- Prairie Lake · 1,331 ac · 3.6 mi
- Hale Lake · 130 ac · 3.8 mi
- McKinney Lake · 106 ac · 3.8 mi
- Blandin Lake · 490 ac · 4.1 mi
- Forest Lake · 37 ac · 4.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Little Bass Lake?
Little Bass Lake reaches 62 ft at its deepest point; about 34% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Little Bass Lake?
Little Bass Lake covers 161 acres with about 2.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Little Bass Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Little Bass Lake average 15.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Little Bass Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Little Bass Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Little Bass Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Little Bass Lake have a public access?
Yes. Little Bass Lake has one public access site: Little Bass Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Little Bass Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Little Bass Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Little Bass Lake in 2025, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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