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Best white bass lakes in Minnesota

52 Minnesota waters hold white bass, 50 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Hard-fighting schooling bass. Legendary spring river runs, then open-water surface blitzes chasing shad all summer.

1. Big Stone Lake — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
2. Lake Pepin — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
3. Traverse — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
4. Elysian — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
5. Artichoke — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
6. Zumbro — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
7. Minnesota River — 11 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
8. Cross — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
9. Cannon — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
10. Emily — 3 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
11. White Bear Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
12. Hendricks — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
13. Lake Tetonka — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
14. Lake Byllesby — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
15. Lower Prior Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
16. Fish — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
17. Madison Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
18. Wells — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
19. Frances — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
20. Upper Sakatah Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
21. Shields — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
22. Circle — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
23. Cedar — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
24. Middle Jefferson — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
25. East Jefferson — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike

…plus 27 more Minnesota waters holding white bass.

When to fish white bass in Minnesota

• Spring 2–12 ft — The famous spawning run — fish stack in tributary rivers and below dams by the thousands.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Follow the shad — surface blitzes early and late, suspended schools over structure midday.
• Fall 6–25 ft — The best surface action of the year — gulls diving means white bass feeding.
• Winter 15–40 ft — Huge tight schools in deep basins and channel bends — vertical spoons.

Also in Minnesota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best rock bass lakes · best cisco (lake herring) lakes · best splake lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best lake sturgeon lakes

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