Minnesota › Best lakes › Smallmouth Bass › Crow Wing County MN · ranked by public data
Best Smallmouth Bass Lakes by DNR Survey System and Lake-Scale Opportunity in Crow Wing County, Minnesota 15 Crow Wing County lakes have exact-water DNR survey evidence for smallmouth bass; 15 lakes with status, survey, or report evidence met our criteria, out of 397 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.
Ranked within spring spawning mn class 25 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1
1 90.0 system score
1,011 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Borden Lake available
90.0 within-system score · 9,992.5 lake-scale opportunity index · 9.88 fish/hour · 2021 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 90.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 9,992.5 (9.88 fish/hour × 1,011 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 9.88 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2021 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 32.8 system score
463 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Crooked Lake limited
32.8 within-system score · 1,110.4 lake-scale opportunity index · 2.4 fish/hour · 2023 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 32.8/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 1,110.4 (2.4 fish/hour × 463 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 2.4 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 3 0.0 system score
350 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Eagle Lake limited
0.0 within-system score · 391.8 lake-scale opportunity index · 1.12 fish/hour · 2021 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 0.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 391.8 (1.12 fish/hour × 350 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 1.12 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2021 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 Ranked within spring spawning mn class 27 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1
1 100.0 system score
905 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Clearwater Lake limited
100.0 within-system score · 95,873.3 lake-scale opportunity index · 105.88 fish/hour · 2025 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 100.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 95,873.3 (105.88 fish/hour × 905 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 105.88 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2025 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 27 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 27 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
1,301 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Lake Hubert limited
10.0 within-system score · 42,273.1 lake-scale opportunity index · 32.5 fish/hour · 2025 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 10.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 42,273.1 (32.5 fish/hour × 1,301 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 32.5 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2025 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 27 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 27 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 23 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank
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241 acres Crow Wing County, MN
East Fox Lake limited
spring spawning mn class 23 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: 0.67 fish/hour Survey recency: 2025 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 23 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 29 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — one lake recorded, no peer rank
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382 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Goodrich Lake limited
spring spawning mn class 29 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: 6.24 fish/hour Survey recency: 2018 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 29 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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310 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Adney 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 –
1,366 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Big Trout 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 –
211 acres Crow Wing County, MN
Clamshell 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 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
Crow Wing County smallmouth bass fishing FAQ Which smallmouth bass lakes receive a numeric county rank? 5 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 Crow Wing County.
How many Crow Wing County lakes have smallmouth bass? 15 Crow Wing 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.