Little Bass Lake Fishing near Chisholm, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Itasca County, Little Bass Lake is a Minnesota water. The surface lies 1,362 feet up. At roughly 24 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The nearest place of any size is Chisholm, 34 miles away. Keewatin lies 35 miles off, Hibbing another 36 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Little Bass Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Work Little Bass Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 5°F in January up to 66°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That shapes the year on Little Bass Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Island Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Little Bass Lake in what we hold.