Smallmouth bass are in many of the lakes in the Marcell, Minnesota area, although, in most of these lakes, smallmouth bass would be considered a secondary species of fish with walleye being the primary fish. If you want to catch smallmouth bass, you can definitely target them and expect to catch some on many different lakes up here. A couple lakes really stand out in this area for smallmouth bass and they are Hatch Lake and Big Turtle Lake. Both lakes are known for numbers and big fish too. There are several other lakes in the area though where you can find smallmouth bass too.
Take a look below to learn more about the area lakes that have smallmouth bass in them.
Big Island Lake
Big Island Lake is a 238 acre lake located in the Chippewa National Forest north of Grand Rapids, MN. The lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet and there is a public access (U.S. Forest Service) located on the northwest side of the lake. This lake has a variety of fish such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, bluegill, crappie and perch. Anglers typically fish this lake for bass and panfish, but there are also good numbers of northern pike in here.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Big Ole Lake
Big Ole Lake is a 179-acre lake in central Itasca County within the Big Fork River watershed. This lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet and a forest service carry-down access is located on the northeast shoreline. There are good numbers of northern pike and bluegill in the lake to go along with some largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Caribou Lake
Caribou Lake is located 6 miles south of Marcell, MN in the Big Fork River watershed. The lake has a surface area of 240 acres and a maximum depth of 152 feet. There is a US Forest Service public access on the southwest shore off State Hwy #38. Caribou Lake has been managed for lake trout. There are some other species of fish in the lake though. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, rock bass and perch are also available.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Hatch Lake
Hatch Lake is known as a good smallmouth bass fishing lake. Other species of fish in this lake are northern pike, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill, rock bass, crappie and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
North Star Lake
North Star Lake is a good fishing lake located just south of Marcell, MN. The lake has one public access and moderate shoreline development. The DNR’s management plan indicates that muskie, northern pike, and walleye are their primary species of fish and largemouth bass are secondary. This lake has some quality sized northern pike, walleye and muskie. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are here in catchable numbers if you choose to fish for them. Crappie, bluegill, perch and rock bass are also available for anglers that like to target panfish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Spider Lake
Spider Lake is a very good fishing lake that is located about 8 miles southeast of Marcell, Minnesota. The lake is located in the Chippewa National Forest and has limited shoreline development. The DNR’s lake management plan indicates walleye, northern pike and muskellunge as the primary species of management with black crappie, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass as secondary species. Spider Lake is one of the better northern pike lakes to fish in this area with many big pike being caught here every year. Pike in the 5 to 10 pound range are common here with big fish up to and above 15 pounds very possible. Muskie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, perch and bluegill are also available in this lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Turtle Lake (Big Turtle Lake)
Turtle Lake is located about a mile north of Marcell, MN, within the Bigfork River Watershed and the Chippewa National Forest. The 2,052 acre lake has a maximum depth of 137 feet. Walleye and smallmouth bass are primary management species on this lake, while northern pike, black crappie, and largemouth bass are secondary management species. The smallmouth bass fishing on Turtle Lake is very good. There are good numbers of smallmouth bass here with a bunch of trophy sized smallies available. Perch, bluegill and other sunfish are here too.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Best Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass will eat a variety of different baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for smallmouth bass.
When it comes to artificial lures, you have lots of options. Soft plastic crayfish, twin tail grubs, worms and minnow baits are very effective. Hard baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners also work great.
Learn More
Live Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Best Rigs for Smallmouth Bass
With so many different soft plastics to use, you have so many different rigs that work great for smallmouth bass. The drop shot rig, a simple jighead, standup jigheads and scrounger jigheads are some of the best rigs for smallmouth bass. To see our full list, take a look at our best rigs for smallmouth bass page.
Best Techniques for Smallmouth Bass
There are so many different techniques you can use for smallmouth bass since they can be found shallow, deep and anywhere in between. Anglers usually cast for them, but jigging, drop shotting and drifting are also some great techniques for smallmouth bass.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for smallmouth bass page.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our smallmouth bass fishing website to learn more.
