Minnesota- Outside magazines best town or America’s healthiest town. Tourists and locals bestow the accolades to the city for a good reason. Minnesota is a creation for outdoor adventures, and you can have yours high or low. If your high is fishing, then Minnesota is a state characterized by water, making fishing one of its most popular activities.
With one of the world’s longest rivers (Mississippi) starting its journey here, fishing is in Minnesotas DNA. But, the best bass fishing spots in Minnesota are in some of its most prominent — and most productive —from White Bear lake to Lutsen Mountains resort on Lake Superior.
With more than 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, it’s hard to highlight the best bass fishing spots, and anglers will never tell you their favorite honey spots. It’s a challenge, but you can win it because you get a hint in this article.
Unlocking The Best Bass Fishing Spots in Minnesota
When someone goes fishing in Minnesota, they’re doing much more than that; they’re getting pretty spoiled. Minnesota has waters suited for all kinds of bass fishing. Here are some of the best places to drop a line in Minnesota!
1. Lake Minnetonka
Lake Minnetonka is the crown diamond of the twin cities. With 16 interconnected lakes and over 14 thousand fishable acres, Tonka features some of the best bass fishing within the Minneapolis metro region. The majority of the lake’s water is clear with deep rock piles, weed lines, and shallow vegetation.
The beauty of the lake is awe-inspiring, and it’s a challenge to even fish due to the amount of water available. Tonka gets deeper as you move away from shore, sometimes up to 50 feet deep! And this makes for some good fishing if you like trolling lures. The best months are March through May; those same big bass spend their summer in the deepest parts of the lake. You can do fishing for smallmouth bass with live bait or jigs, but if you want to go after largemouths, try topwater lures and spinnerbaits in the spring months.
2. Sibley Lake
Sibley Lake provides some excellent fishing opportunities, so it’s no surprise it’s a great place to cast your line. It is located in Le Sueur County and is part of the Minnesota River watershed. The lake is surrounded by farmland, making it a great place to fish for largemouth bass year-round.
In case you’re fly fishing or baitcasting, your chances of getting a bite here are high. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel. This spring-fed lake has an average depth of eight feet and contains largemouth bass as well as sunfish, northern pike, muskie, walleye, and bullheads. The best time for fishing on this lake is also in the early spring months (March through May). The park is open year-round and has plenty of camping, hiking trails, and other activities.
3. Lake Vermillion
The best bass fishing in Minnesota is probably on Lake Vermilion. The lake’s coordinates are 45’52 “N, 94’27 “W, situated in Pope County. Undeniably known for its walleye population, Vermilion has also become a hotbed for muskie, panfish, bass, and other species.
While walleye are still the chief demand fish, making Lake Vermilion such a strong fishery overall is the population of a broad range of species. It’s deep but also has some shallow areas, perfect for largemouths to prowl around looking for prey. The best time of year to fish here is late April through mid-June, when water levels are high. This part of the state gets a fair amount of rainfall during this time, making the lake’s water level high enough to make bass fishing a good option.
4. Lake Millie Lacs
Notorious for its healthy population of big smallmouth bass, Lake Millie Lacs is one of Minnesota’s best bass fishing spots. Once upon a time, Mille Lacs Lake was Minnesota’s centerpiece world-class walleye fishery. Not so much anymore because it’s also a home for smallmouths.
It’s not surprising that this is an excellent place to fish, as Millie Lacs boasts four tributaries-the North Branch, South Branch, Middle Fork, and Bogan River -which all flow into the lake. The best time to fish on this water is in the spring months, March through May. You’ll find more of these big bass lurking around near weed beds and under docks during this period. Millie Lacs has a maximum depth of 35 feet with an average depth between 12-14 feet; it’s also worth noting that the water level is higher in the spring.
5. White Bear Lake
White Bear is in Washington County, Minnesota. This lake is 2,428 acres in size, with 1,314 acres being littoral. It is approximately 83 feet deep at its deepest point. The White Bear Lake Area Association calls this the “Crown Jewel of Public Fishing” in Minnesota, and it’s easy to see why. White Bear Lake has a rich history of the best bass fishing spots in Minnesota. It is also home to green sunfish, trout, largemouth bass, muskie, northern pike, rock bass, white bass, yellow perch, yellow bullhead, pumpkinseed, sauger, smallmouth bass, walleye – you name it! The lake is a complex of three lakes: East, Middle, and West White Bear Lake.
6. Lake Winnibigoshish
The lake is near Grand Rapids in Clearwater County, with 67,000 acres ranking it fifth on the list of Minnesota’s largest lakes. However, the Minnesota DNR considers Winnibigoshish one of the best bass fishing spots in the state because of its numerous fish species, including pike, walleye, bass, and panfish.
The lake is a widening of the Chippewa River which flows into it, and to top that, the current Mississippi River flows through the lake. You can find soft bottom and weeds that make for excellent largemouth bass and sunfish angling in the lake. You will also find a rocky underwater structure perfect for walleye, perch, and smallmouth bass. The lake has a maximum depth of approximately 70 feet but averages a depth of 15 feet.
7. Lake Pepin
Bass fishing in Minnesota is not complete without a mention of Lake Pepin. The lake is a natural widening of the Mississippi River that stretches for 21 miles, with a record of more than 80 species. At 25,000 acres in size, Lake Pepin has 100-plus miles of shoreline punctuated by fish-holding points, rip-rap, and steep break lines.
Furthermore, the lake’s diverse and abundant forage base, consisting of various minnows, shiners, chubs, shad, crustaceans, and insects, supports various panfish, predators, and bottom-dwellers. The lake’s bass angling is so popular, thus the name ‘Bass Capital of the World.’ The best time of the year to fish is in the spring and fall months, where you’ll find more significant numbers of bass near weed beds
8. The Leech Lake
Leech Lake is the second-largest natural lake in Minnesota. The lake contains 11,000 acres of water with a maximum depth of 150 feet and an average depth of about 52 feet. The lake is a collection point for fish from 23 significant tributaries and drains over 200,000 acres containing thousands of lakes, rivers, and streams. Leech Lake is in Cass County, with the lake being approximately 33 miles long by 16 miles wide.
The fishing action in this lake is incredible, with Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, and Perch being the most common species. The fishing action starts in May at first light, and it usually goes until about October when the water begins to cool. The prime fishing bays on this lake are Leech River, Boy Bay and River, Waboose Bay, Headquarters Bay, Sucker Bay, and River, Shingobee Bay, Steamboat Bay, and Moonlight Bay.
Conclusion
Fishing in Minnesota is a year-round activity, and the best time to go bass fishing will depend not only on where you are but on what species of fish you want. Minnesota boasts the most fishing licenses per capita of any state, more than 162 species, and 3.8 million acres of fishing waters.
