Fishing Baseline Lake

Baseline Lake has undergone a remarkable fishery transformation, with bluegills recovering from decades of stunting to now rating 6.3 on the Schneider scale - one of the highest ratings in the region. The bluegill population shows above-average growth (+0.3) with 96% of fish at legal size, representing a complete reversal from the poor conditions of the 1970s. Northern pike provide excellent fishing with outstanding growth rates (+2.6 well above state average), though the population depends entirely on annual stocking of 10 fish per acre since a control structure in 1980 cut off natural spawning runs. Pike range 21-31 inches with all fish legal size. Largemouth bass fishing remains very good despite small survey numbers - the lake is popular for bass tournaments due to consistent quality and numbers. Summer fishing is limited to the top 11 feet due to oxygen depletion below 12 feet, with a thermocline from 12-20 feet. The lake bottom features sharp dropoffs around most of the perimeter, with heavily vegetated shoal areas dominated by coontail and milfoil providing excellent fish habitat. Water stays brown and turbid year-round from agricultural runoff, with only 3.5 feet of visibility, but this hasn't impacted fish populations negatively. The 187-acre lake reaches 45 feet deep and offers good fishing for northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegills, and black crappie, with bullheads also abundant throughout.