Little Bass 26-Acre Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MN)

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Lake depth chart

Little Bass, MN

Max 80 ft

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Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Fall frog migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 25 – Nov 10 · frogs leave the marshes and sloughs for deeper wintering water as fall cools — the corroborated core is October; the funnels are the connections between marsh and main lake

adultevenings into after dark, where the marsh meets the lake — a funnel event — frogs cross from marshy shallows into the larger, deeper neighboring water and burrow into the soft bottom; fish the crossing, not the marsh

A short, place-specific buffet: predators stage where the frog traffic crosses — inlet mouths, culverts, the marsh-to-lake throat.

A weedless hollow-body frog worked slow across the marsh mouth at dusk; after dark, a slow-rolled swimbait or a bottom rig fished right on the soft bottom off the opening.

The event happens over the throats between marshes and the main lake — inlet mouths, culvert channels, soft-bottom bays just off the weeds

Next on this water

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~8 months

Know the rules

Minnesota DNR fishing regulations Buy a license

Minnesota season openers

Southeast trout	Jan 1, 2026	Southeastern inland streams
Stream trout	Apr 11, 2026	Statewide inland streams
Fishing opener	May 9, 2026	Minnesota waters
Muskellunge	Jun 6, 2026	Minnesota waters
Fishing opener (2027)	May 15, 2027	Minnesota waters

From the MN DNR seasons page (2026-08-10). Special regulations override statewide rules on many waters.

Seasons, limits and license rules vary by water and change every year — always check the official rules before you fish.

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Little Bass

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Fishing Little Bass: what the data says

26-acre lake near Itasca County. The lake tops out around 80 ft. The depth chart comes from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1939, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map). Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The outline encloses 26 acres, worked by 1 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 23% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. Itasca County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Poplar, is 1 mi to the southeast.

Northern Pike fishing at Little Bass

Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Little Bass

When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 27 ft of water and rates good come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	open water	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Pumpkinseed fishing at Little Bass

The spring pattern is a shallow one: pumpkinseed in 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 10 ft before dropping to 6 to 18 ft for winter. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	open water	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	open water	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Brown Bullhead fishing at Little Bass

When the water first warms, brown bullhead slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 12 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dusk & night	open water
Summer	3 to 12 ft	night & dusk	open water
Fall	5 to 15 ft	dusk	open water
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	open water

Yellow Perch fishing at Little Bass

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (27 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (27 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Notable structure

Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 67 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 67 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft

Little Bass fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Little Bass specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Little Bass?

Little Bass is about 80 ft (24 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1939, a decades-old survey (the DNR's original lake-survey map).

What fish are in Little Bass?

Anglers target northern pike, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, yellow perch on Little Bass.

Where is the best fishing spot on Little Bass?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Little Bass?

For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Little Bass?

Fishing on Little Bass is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Poplar 1 mi · Deer 2 mi · Crum 2 mi · Battle 2 mi · Pickerel 2 mi · Button Box 3 mi · Five Island 3 mi · Erskine 4 mi · Herrigan 4 mi · Sucker 5 mi · Duck 5 mi · Bass 5 mi

See how Little Bass stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best pumpkinseed lakes in Minnesota

More water nearby: Itasca County fishing maps (371 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.