Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best largemouth bass lakes near St. Paul
The DNR has surveyed largemouth bass in 151 lakes within 25 miles of St. Paul. Of those, 47 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.
Long Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 107.3 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing in the 2023 survey, and the biggest was 20 inches. Big Marine Lake is second at A−, with 103.6 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing in the 2024 survey, and 3% of its largemouth bass measured over 15 inches. DeMontreville Lake is third at A−, and its biggest largemouth bass was 18 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 15" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Lake | A | 285 | 107.3/hr in electrofishing | 13% | 20" | 2.7 lb | 2023 |
| 2 | Big Marine Lake | A− | 1,799 | 103.6/hr in electrofishing | 3% | 18" | 0.8 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | DeMontreville Lake | A− | 157 | 100.9/hr in electrofishing | 35% | 18" | 2.1 lb | 2019 |
| 4 | Forest Lake | A− | 2,271 | 62.2/hr in electrofishing | 5% | 16" | 0.9 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | White Bear Lake | A− | 2,428 | 26/hr in electrofishing | 17% | 18" | 1.3 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Orchard Lake | B+ | 238 | 66.6/hr in electrofishing | 18% | 19" | 1.3 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Crooked Lake | B+ | 115 | 81.6/hr in electrofishing | 23% | 19" | 0.2 lb | 2021 |
| 8 | Mitchell Lake | B+ | 114 | 57.3/hr in electrofishing | 41% | 20" | 1 lb | 2021 |
| 9 | Jane Lake | B+ | 158 | 63.3/hr in electrofishing | 24% | 18" | 1.3 lb | 2019 |
| 10 | Bald Eagle Lake | B | 1,049 | 27/hr in electrofishing | 5% | 16" | 0.6 lb | 2022 |
Also ranked near St. Paul: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · 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.