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FishGrade

Best Smallmouth Bass Lakes in Minnesota

Ranked by Minnesota DNR survey data · 634 lakes scored

Top smallmouth bass lakes

634 Minnesota lakes have enough DNR survey data to earn a FishGrade score for smallmouth bass; 150 of them are at least 1,000 acres. The top 15 are ranked below by FishGrade's 0–100 score: abundance against the DNR normal range for similar lakes, plus size structure. Clitherall leads at 100. Across all 150 qualifying lakes the median score is 50.

See all 634 smallmouth bass lakes on the map
  1. 1. Clitherall

    Otter Tail County · 2,540 acres

    Excellent · 100

    219.1 electrofishing · surveyed 2006

  2. 2. Crystal

    Otter Tail County · 1,413 acres

    Excellent · 100

    33.0 electrofishing · surveyed 2006

  3. 3. Mille Lacs

    Mille Lacs County · 128,250 acres

    Excellent · 99

    33.5 electrofishing · 94% keeper-size · surveyed 2025

  4. 4. Turtle

    Itasca County · 2,126 acres

    Excellent · 99

    47.7 electrofishing · 86% keeper-size · surveyed 2017

  5. 5. Big Birch

    Todd County · 2,107 acres

    Excellent · 99

    33.0 electrofishing · 94% keeper-size · surveyed 2024

  6. 6. Thunder

    Cass County · 1,347 acres

    Excellent · 99

    36.9 electrofishing · 85% keeper-size · surveyed 2023

  7. 7. Hubert

    Crow Wing County · 1,301 acres

    Excellent · 99

    32.5 electrofishing · 86% keeper-size · surveyed 2025

  8. 8. Eagles Nest #3

    St. Louis County · 1,028 acres

    Excellent · 99

    35.2 electrofishing · 88% keeper-size · surveyed 2025

  9. 9. North Lida

    Otter Tail County · 5,523 acres

    Excellent · 98

    74.6 electrofishing · 71% keeper-size · surveyed 2006

  10. 10. Deer

    Itasca County · 4,093 acres

    Excellent · 98

    90.0 electrofishing · 77% keeper-size · surveyed 2023

  11. 11. Echo

    St. Louis County · 1,142 acres

    Excellent · 98

    19.4 electrofishing · 90% keeper-size · surveyed 2024

  12. 12. Kabetogama

    St. Louis County · 24,034 acres

    Excellent · 97

    40.3 electrofishing · 62% keeper-size · surveyed 2025

  13. 13. Alexander

    Morrison County · 2,709 acres

    Excellent · 97

    25.4 electrofishing · 70% keeper-size · surveyed 2024

  14. 14. Moose

    Itasca County · 1,273 acres

    Excellent · 97

    26.0 electrofishing · 67% keeper-size · surveyed 2018

  15. 15. Pepin

    Goodhue County · 12,299 acres

    Excellent · 96

    24.0 electrofishing · 62% keeper-size · surveyed 2023

Underrated smallmouth bass lakes under 1,000 acres

Smaller waters (100–999 acres) with standout survey numbers and lighter fishing pressure.

  1. 1. Fish

    Jackson County · 297 acres

    Excellent · 100

    48.4 electrofishing · surveyed 2015

  2. 2. Locke

    Wright County · 140 acres

    Excellent · 100

    35.4 electrofishing · surveyed 2016

  3. 3. Nest

    Kandiyohi County · 969 acres

    Excellent · 99

    23.5 electrofishing · 100% keeper-size · surveyed 1999

  4. 4. Eagles Nest #2

    St. Louis County · 388 acres

    Excellent · 99

    29.0 electrofishing · 91% keeper-size · surveyed 2025

  5. 5. Elk

    Sherburne County · 357 acres

    Excellent · 99

    23.1 electrofishing · 100% keeper-size · surveyed 2019

  6. 6. Hatch

    Itasca County · 226 acres

    Excellent · 99

    54.2 electrofishing · 82% keeper-size · surveyed 2013

  7. 7. Hoot

    Otter Tail County · 161 acres

    Excellent · 99

    39.4 electrofishing · 91% keeper-size · surveyed 2025

  8. 8. Pickerel

    Otter Tail County · 849 acres

    Excellent · 98

    39.4 electrofishing · 79% keeper-size · surveyed 2012

  9. 9. Oliver

    Swift County · 686 acres

    Excellent · 98

    21.0 electrofishing · 86% keeper-size · surveyed 2016

  10. 10. Little Long

    St. Louis County · 322 acres

    Excellent · 98

    156.1 electrofishing · 68% keeper-size · surveyed 2015

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best smallmouth bass lake in Minnesota?

Clitherall in Otter Tail County is the top-rated smallmouth bass lake in Minnesota on FishGrade, scoring 100 out of 100 based on Minnesota DNR survey data. Among smaller waters, Fish in Jackson County (297 acres) tops the under-1,000-acre list with a score of 100.

How are these rankings calculated?

Each lake's 0-100 FishGrade score blends two signals from Minnesota DNR surveys: abundance, which compares the lake's catch rate to the DNR normal range for similar lakes using the survey gear that best samples smallmouth bass, and size, the share of sampled fish reaching keeper size. To keep the list meaningful, the main rankings cover named lakes of at least 1,000 acres, and standout smaller lakes of 100+ acres are listed separately.

How current is this data?

Every ranking uses the most recent Minnesota DNR survey for each lake: survey dates for the ranked lakes run from 2006 to 2025, and 10 of 15 were surveyed within the last 7 years. The DNR resurveys most lakes on a 5-to-10-year cycle, and these rankings update as new surveys are published.

Which counties have the best smallmouth bass fishing?

Itasca County, Otter Tail County, and St. Louis County lead this list, holding 9 of the top 15 smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota between them.