Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best largemouth bass lakes near St. Cloud
The DNR has surveyed largemouth bass in 121 lakes within 25 miles of St. Cloud. Of those, 67 earn a grade on this site, and the top 10 are ranked below. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
Cedar Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 78 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing in the 2024 survey, and the biggest was 20 inches. West Lake Sylvia is second at A, with 84.1 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing in the 2025 survey, and 9% of its largemouth bass measured over 15 inches. Long Lake is third at A, and its biggest largemouth bass was 20 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 15" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Lake | A | 790 | 78/hr in electrofishing | 42% | 20" | 1 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | West Lake Sylvia | A | 904 | 84.1/hr in electrofishing | 9% | 21" | 0.9 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Long Lake | A | 174 | 115.5/hr in electrofishing | 26% | 20" | 1 lb | 2007 |
| 4 | School Section Lake | A− | 211 | 124/hr in electrofishing | 30% | 18" | 1.2 lb | 2018 |
| 5 | Indian Lake | A− | 139 | 125.5/hr in electrofishing | 11% | 21" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Carnelian Lake | A− | 180 | 127.1/hr in electrofishing | 18% | 18" | 0.7 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Big Lake | A− | 458 | 82.2/hr in electrofishing | 5% | 19" | 0.7 lb | 2017 |
| 8 | Grand Lake | B+ | 651 | 48/hr in electrofishing | 18% | 18" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Mary Lake | B+ | 196 | 53.6/hr in electrofishing | 48% | 21" | 2.3 lb | 2017 |
| 10 | Ida Lake | B+ | 226 | 69.9/hr in electrofishing | 16% | 19" | 0.3 lb | 2022 |
Also ranked near St. Cloud: Walleye · Northern pike · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota
Grades are based on Minnesota DNR survey data: how many fish the DNR caught (scaled by lake size), how many reached quality size, and the biggest fish measured. Each lake's page has the numbers behind its grade. The table shows each lake's most recent survey year.