Minnesota › Best lakes › Smallmouth Bass › Cass County MN · ranked by public data
Best Smallmouth Bass Lakes by DNR Survey System and Lake-Scale Opportunity in Cass County, Minnesota 11 Cass County lakes have exact-water DNR survey evidence for smallmouth bass; 11 lakes with status, survey, or report evidence met our criteria, out of 606 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
1 90.0 system score
737 acres Cass County, MN
Baby Lake available
90.0 within-system score · 15,115.1 lake-scale opportunity index · 20.5 fish/hour · 2019 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 90.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 15,115.1 (20.5 fish/hour × 737 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 20.5 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2019 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 23 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 23 standard night bass electrofishing surveys DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset 2 10.0 system score
195 acres Cass County, MN
Bass Lake limited
10.0 within-system score · 584.3 lake-scale opportunity index · 3 fish/hour · 2023 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 10.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 584.3 (3 fish/hour × 195 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 3 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2023 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 23 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 23 standard night bass electrofishing surveys DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset Ranked within spring spawning mn class 25 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1
1 100.0 system score
771 acres Cass County, MN
Blackwater Lake available
100.0 within-system score · 2,692.4 lake-scale opportunity index · 3.49 fish/hour · 2023 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 100.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 2,692.4 (3.49 fish/hour × 771 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 3.49 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2023 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 25 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 25 standard night bass electrofishing surveys DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset 2 0.0 system score
3,308 acres Cass County, MN
Boy Lake available
0.0 within-system score · 1,984.7 lake-scale opportunity index · 0.6 fish/hour · 2013 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 0.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 1,984.7 (0.6 fish/hour × 3,308 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 0.6 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2013 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 25 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 25 standard night bass electrofishing surveys DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset Comparable spring spawning mn class 22 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank
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1,452 acres Cass County, MN
Little Boy Lake limited
spring spawning mn class 22 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) · one comparable lake, so no peer rank
Why this lake is listed No numeric rank: this survey system has no eligible same-system peer Survey rate: 11.71 fish/hour Survey recency: 2018 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 22 DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset Documented species evidence — unranked and alphabetical
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285 acres Cass County, MN
Child Lake available
Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system
Why this lake is listed DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset –
428 acres Cass County, MN
Girl Lake limited
Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system
Why this lake is listed DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset –
10,010 acres Cass County, MN
Gull Lake limited
Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system
Why this lake is listed DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset –
1,133 acres Cass County, MN
Inguadona Lake limited
Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system
Why this lake is listed DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset –
358 acres Cass County, MN
Island Lake limited
Documented DNR evidence · no comparable smallmouth bass numeric survey system
Why this lake is listed DNR abundance label: not covered by this ranking dataset DNR fisheries survey evidence: Recorded in DNR fisheries survey (smallmouth bass) Species fishing reports: not covered by this ranking dataset Stocking history: not covered by this ranking dataset Rank Lake County Acres System score Primary score signal Survey measurement Metric year Fishing report DNR status Smallmouth Bass stocking — Leech Lake Cass 103,444 — — — — No · 0% signal No record —
Methodology
How this list is built 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 smallmouth bass ranking .
FAQ
Cass County smallmouth bass fishing FAQ Which smallmouth bass lakes receive a numeric county rank? 4 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 Cass County.
How many Cass County lakes have smallmouth bass? 11 Cass 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.