Minnesota › Best lakes › Smallmouth Bass › Douglas County MN · ranked by public data
Best Smallmouth Bass Lakes by DNR Survey System and Lake-Scale Opportunity in Douglas County, Minnesota 12 Douglas County lakes have exact-water DNR survey evidence for smallmouth bass; 12 lakes with status, survey, or report evidence met our criteria, out of 159 documented lakes in the county. Updated July 2026.
Ranked within spring spawning mn class 22 standard night bass electrofishing catch per effort (fish per hour) — ranks restart at 1
1 90.0 system score
5,731 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Miltona limited
90.0 within-system score · 25,789.5 lake-scale opportunity index · 4.5 fish/hour · 2019 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 90.0/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 25,789.5 (4.5 fish/hour × 5,731 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 4.5 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2019 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 22 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 22 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 41.1 system score
2,605 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Carlos limited
41.1 within-system score · 6,512.8 lake-scale opportunity index · 2.5 fish/hour · 2024 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 41.1/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 6,512.8 (2.5 fish/hour × 2,605 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 2.5 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2024 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 22 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 22 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 33.2 system score
767 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Latoka limited
33.2 within-system score · 3,066.5 lake-scale opportunity index · 4 fish/hour · 2021 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 33.2/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 3,066.5 (4 fish/hour × 767 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 4 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2021 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 22 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 22 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 4 28.1 system score
4,445 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Ida limited
28.1 within-system score · 6,667.9 lake-scale opportunity index · 1.5 fish/hour · 2023 DNR survey
How this within-system rank was determined Within-system score: 28.1/100 Lake scale (55%): opportunity index 6,667.9 (1.5 fish/hour × 4,445 acres; not a fish count) Survey rate (35%): 1.5 fish/hour Survey recency (10%): 2023 Survey method: Minnesota DNR standard night bass electrofishing, lake class 22 Compared only with Minnesota DNR lake class 22 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 Documented species evidence — unranked and alphabetical
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1,186 acres Douglas County, MN
Chippewa 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 –
610 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Aaron 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 –
137 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Agnes 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 –
640 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Geneva 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 –
1,801 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Le Homme Dieu 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 –
824 acres Douglas County, MN
Lake Moses 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 — Lake Victoria Douglas 417 — — — — No · 0% signal No record — — Lobster Lake Douglas 1,334 — — — — 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
Douglas 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 Douglas County.
How many Douglas County lakes have smallmouth bass? 12 Douglas 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.