Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best largemouth bass lakes in Sherburne County
The DNR has surveyed largemouth bass in 22 lakes in Sherburne County. Of those, 12 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 115.5 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing in the 2007 survey, and the biggest was 20 inches. Birch Lake is second at B+, with 57.5 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing in the 2019 survey, and 34% of its largemouth bass measured over 15 inches. Mitchell Lake is third at B+, and its biggest largemouth bass was 19 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 15" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Lake | A | 174 | 115.5/hr in electrofishing | 26% | 20" | 1 lb | 2007 |
| 2 | Birch Lake | B+ | 160 | 57.5/hr in electrofishing | 34% | 21" | 0.1 lb | 2019 |
| 3 | Mitchell Lake | B+ | 170 | 59/hr in electrofishing | 35% | 19" | 0.9 lb | 2019 |
| 4 | Pickerel Lake | B+ | 108 | 83.1/hr in electrofishing | 16% | 19" | 1.1 lb | 2007 |
| 5 | Elk Lake | B− | 362 | 23.3/hr in electrofishing | 24% | 19" | 1.2 lb | 2017 |
| 6 | Elk Lake | C+ | 357 | 30.9/hr in electrofishing | 7% | 15" | 1.2 lb | 2019 |
| 7 | Big Lake | C+ | 254 | 29.1/hr in electrofishing | 13% | 18" | 1 lb | 2017 |
| 8 | Julia Lake | C+ | 155 | — | 0% | 14" | 0.9 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Ann Lake | C+ | 183 | 18.5/hr in electrofishing | 54% | 20" | 2.7 lb | 2019 |
| 10 | Rush Lake | C+ | 161 | — | 0% | 6" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked in Sherburne County: Walleye · Northern pike · 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.