MN · ranked by public data
74 Itasca County lakes have exact-water DNR survey evidence for largemouth bass; 74 lakes with status, survey, or report evidence met our criteria, out of 832 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.
Ranked within spring spawning mn class 23 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1
Itasca County, MN
96.6 within-system score · 49,175.7 lake-scale opportunity index · 93.24 fish/hour · 2016 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
83.9 within-system score · 27,505.6 lake-scale opportunity index · 94.21 fish/hour · 2020 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
65.4 within-system score · 15,904.6 lake-scale opportunity index · 87.73 fish/hour · 2020 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
63.6 within-system score · 19,738.3 lake-scale opportunity index · 74.4 fish/hour · 2021 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
42.7 within-system score · 17,657.5 lake-scale opportunity index · 61.3 fish/hour · 2003 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
29.8 within-system score · 15,872.5 lake-scale opportunity index · 36.57 fish/hour · 2012 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
9.3 within-system score · 6,259.5 lake-scale opportunity index · 39 fish/hour · 2017 DNR survey
Ranked within spring spawning mn class 25 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1
Itasca County, MN
66.9 within-system score · 39,260.9 lake-scale opportunity index · 14.46 fish/hour · 2014 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
63.2 within-system score · 10,942.2 lake-scale opportunity index · 73.7 fish/hour · 2009 DNR survey
Itasca County, MN
47.9 within-system score · 12,966.9 lake-scale opportunity index · 39.49 fish/hour · 2007 DNR survey
| Rank | Lake | County | Acres | System score | Primary score signal | Survey measurement | Metric year | Fishing report | DNR status | Largemouth Bass stocking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Balsam Lake | Itasca | 716 | 45.8 | index 14,438.3 | 20.17 fish/hour | 2016 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 5 | Little Long Lake | Itasca | 305 | 35.7 | index 8,451.3 | 27.75 fish/hour | 2015 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 6 | Little Jay Gould Lake | Itasca | 150 | 25.6 | index 5,025.5 | 33.51 fish/hour | 2015 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 7 | Grave Lake | Itasca | 525 | 0.0 | index 4,496.3 | 8.57 fish/hour | 2000 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Ranked within spring spawning mn class 31 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Gunderson Lake | Itasca | 183 | 93.3 | index 15,570.8 | 84.91 fish/hour | 2020 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 2 | Buck Lake | Itasca | 495 | 82.3 | index 25,337.2 | 51.18 fish/hour | 2013 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 3 | King Lake | Itasca | 311 | 70.3 | index 14,279.2 | 45.97 fish/hour | 2009 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 4 | Little Turtle Lake | Itasca | 492 | 56.0 | index 9,587.8 | 19.5 fish/hour | 2014 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 5 | Busties Lake | Itasca | 245 | 52.5 | index 6,334.4 | 25.84 fish/hour | 2013 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 6 | Little Moose Lake | Itasca | 289 | 41.8 | index 4,330.8 | 15 fish/hour | 2011 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 7 | Little Ball Club Lake | Itasca | 185 | 0.0 | index 461.3 | 2.5 fish/hour | 1999 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Ranked within spring spawning mn class 29 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Jay Gould Lake | Itasca | 552 | 98.4 | index 12,954.9 | 23.48 fish/hour | 2015 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 2 | Beauty Lake | Itasca | 216 | 31.8 | index 2,809.4 | 13 fish/hour | 2015 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 3 | Dead Horse Lake | Itasca | 105 | 18.3 | index 1,730.8 | 16.44 fish/hour | 1999 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 4 | Little Split Hand Lake | Itasca | 244 | 15.7 | index 2,129.3 | 8.73 fish/hour | 2018 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Ranked within spring spawning mn class 32 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Burrows Lake | Itasca | 306 | 77.8 | index 10,272.6 | 33.62 fish/hour | 2018 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 2 | Crooked Lake | Itasca | 134 | 53.1 | index 6,858.5 | 51 fish/hour | 2012 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 3 | Eagle Lake | Itasca | 285 | 18.7 | index 6,727.8 | 23.58 fish/hour | 2016 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 4 | Burnt Shanty Lake | Itasca | 198 | 9.3 | index 6,122.9 | 30.86 fish/hour | 2003 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Ranked within spring spawning mn class 28 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Cottonwood Lake | Itasca | 133 | 100.0 | index 3,388.4 | 25.54 fish/hour | 2013 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| 2 | Arrowhead Lake | Itasca | 138 | 0.0 | index 1,800.4 | 13 fish/hour | 2006 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Comparable spring spawning mn class 20 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank | ||||||||||
| — | Bower Lake | Itasca | 93 | — | — | 36.75 fish/hour | 2010 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Comparable spring spawning mn class 22 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank | ||||||||||
| — | Deer Lake | Itasca | 4,093 | — | — | 37 fish/hour | 2023 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Comparable spring spawning mn class 34 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank | ||||||||||
| — | Island Lake | Itasca | 285 | — | — | 5.14 fish/hour | 2014 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Comparable spring spawning mn class 35 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank | ||||||||||
| — | Big Island Lake | Itasca | 244 | — | — | 68.56 fish/hour | 2020 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Comparable spring spawning mn class 36 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank | ||||||||||
| — | Buttonbox Lake | Itasca | 81 | — | — | 41.91 fish/hour | 2007 | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| Documented species evidence — unranked and alphabetical | ||||||||||
| — | Antler Lake | Itasca | 234 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Ball Club Lake | Itasca | 4,335 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Barwise Lake | Itasca | 92 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Bass Lake | Itasca | 122 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Bear Lake | Itasca | 344 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Beatrice Lake | Itasca | 124 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Big Dick Lake | Itasca | 260 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Big McCarthy Lake | Itasca | 104 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Big Ole Lake | Itasca | 217 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Big Sucker Lake | Itasca | 259 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Bluebill Lake | Itasca | 148 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Bowstring Lake | Itasca | 9,528 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Caribou Lake | Itasca | 247 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Clear Lake | Itasca | 140 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Crooked Lake | Itasca | 465 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Cut Foot Sioux Lake | Itasca | 2,771 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Deer Lake | Itasca | 1,855 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Dixon Lake | Itasca | 622 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Dunbar Lake | Itasca | 268 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Five Island Lake | Itasca | 214 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Guile Lake | Itasca | 88 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Gunny Sack Lake | Itasca | 86 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Hale Lake | Itasca | 130 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Highland Lake | Itasca | 105 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
| — | Island Lake | Itasca | 3,108 | — | — | — | — | No · 0% signal | No record | — |
Methodology
County ranks use the same statewide exact-family contract; systems with at least two eligible county peers restart at #1. The score is 55% survey rate × acreage, 35% survey rate, and 10% recency. Catch-per-effort × acreage is only an opportunity index, never a literal fish count. Documented acreage plus verified public or shore access are eligibility gates. Unsupported methods stay documented but unranked. See the complete definitions on the statewide largemouth bass ranking.
FAQ
31 lakes receive at least one peer-backed, exact-lake numeric rank. Catch-per-effort systems separate species, phase, gear, unit, and sampled population; standardized adult-density estimates form their own system, so systems with at least two eligible county peers can each have a #1 in Itasca County.
74 Itasca County lakes have exact-water DNR survey evidence. Numeric rank still requires an exact comparable family plus the acreage and access gates.
Source data: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder fisheries surveys, lake classes, morphology, and public-access records. Rankings are LakeList's computed opinion from public agency data, not a DNR endorsement. Conditions and regulations change — verify access and rules before you go.