Best Bass Fishing Spot in Every U.S. State

This big-time sport also is a popular recreational activity for Americans across the country.

Best Bass Fishing Spot in Every U.S. State

Largemouth bass — Bass fishing is a popular recreational activity across the United States.

When it comes to sport fishing, bass reign supreme as the national pastime for anglers from coast to coast.

Bass tournaments dot the maps of states small and large, north and south, each year, with anglers outfitted in high-tech boats in search of trophy catches that bring lucrative paydays.

We’ve scoured the United States for the best bass-fishing holes, whether you’re a serious competitor or casual fisherman (or woman) simply looking for a relaxing way to spend a summer day.

Here are the best places to land a lunker in 49 of the 50 states (bass haven’t made their way to the frigid waters of Alaska — yet).

Alabama: Lake Guntersville

Location: North Alabama between Bridgeport and Guntersville

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, spotted

Best time to fish: Year-round

Did you know: Lake Guntersville is Alabama’s largest lake with over 950 miles of shoreline.

Bottom line: Ranked the nation’s second-best bass lake of 2019 by Bassmaster, Lake Guntersville produced a winning weight total of a whopping 33.82 pounds during a February tournament.

Arizona: Lake Havasu

Location: Mohave County, on the border between California and Arizona

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, striped

Best time to fish: Year-round

Did you know: Lake Havasu is the most visited lake in Arizona, attracting over 2.5 million visitors a year.

Bottom line: Known for its excellent smallmouth fishing, Lake Havasu ranked among the top bass lakes in the West in 2019 by Bassmaster.

Arkansas: Millwood Lake

Location: Little River County, southwestern Arkansas

Type of bass: Largemouth, spotted, white, striped

Best time to fish: Year-round

Did you know: The lake is known for its flooded timber waterways, which provide excellent cover for bass.

Bottom line: "If you want an easy lake to catch some bass, Millwood should be the ticket," Bassmaster said in 2018, noting the lake’s 82.5 percent success rate during 2017 tournaments.

California: Clear Lake

Location: Lake County, north of Napa County and San Francisco

Type of fish: Largemouth

Best time to fish: Year-round

Did you know: At over 43,000 acres, Clear Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake located entirely within California, and it is believed to be one of the oldest lakes in North America.

Bottom line: Clear Lake was ranked No. 4 in the nation for bass fishing in 2019 by Bassmaster, which noted the monster catches that were taken during an April tournament.

Colorado: McPhee Reservoir

Location: Montezuma County, southwestern Colorado

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best time to fish: Late spring to early summer

Did you know: McPhee supports both warm- and cold-weather species of fish, making it an anglers' paradise.

Bottom line: Colorado’s high elevations and cool waters make it a less-than-ideal state for bass fishing, but McPhee is an exception, known for producing king-sized smallmouths.

Connecticut: Candlewood Lake

Location: Fairfield and Litchfield Counties, western Connecticut

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best time to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: At 5,400 acres, Candlewood is the largest lake in Connecticut.

Bottom line: Though it is home to multiple fish species, Candlewood is best known for its smallmouth fishing, thanks in large part to the water vegetation that helps support a healthy bass population.

Delaware: Lums Pond

Location: New Castle County, northwestern Delaware

Type of bass: Largemouth, striped

Best time to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: Despite its small-sounding name, Lums Pond is the largest lake in Delaware.

Bottom line: The 200-acre impoundment is recognized as the most popular fishing lake in Delaware, whether casting from boats or the bank.

Florida: St. Johns River

Location: 50-mile radius out of Palatka

Type of bass: Largemouth, striped

Best time to fish: Year-round

Did you know: St. Johns features over 300 miles of wandering waterway.

Bottom line: Due to several five-fish limits that topped 30 pounds each at a February tournament, Bassmaster ranked the St. Johns River as the top bass fishery in Florida for 2019 and fourth-best in the southeastern region.

Georgia: Lake Eufaula

Location: Eufaula (Alabama), Fort Gaines and Georgetown (Georgia)

Type of bass: Largemouth, spotted

Best time to fish: Spring to fall

Did you know: The 45,000-acre lake also goes by Walter F. George Lake.

Bottom line: Located along the Georgia/Alabama border, Lake Eufaula owes it reputation as a bass-fishing paradise in large part to the plethora of boat docks and brush that provide ideal hideouts for the fish.

Hawaii: Lake Wilson

Location: Wahiawa, Oahu

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, peacock

Best time to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: All bass caught here must be released immediately as this is a catch-and-release lake for these species.

Bottom line: Tropical regions aren’t known for bass fishing, but this 400-acre reservoir on the island of Oahu offers plentiful opportunities for anglers, who often fish from canoes and kayaks.

Idaho: Lake Coeur d’Alene

Location: Kootenai, Benewah Counties, northern Idaho

Type of bass: Smallmouth, largemouth

Best time to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know?: Despite its reputation as a top bass-fishing destination, the lake is best known for its chinook salmon catch.

Bottom line: The cool waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene may not be ideal for bass populations, but it produces no shortage of trophy-size lunkers.

Illinois: Newton Lake

Location: Jasper County, central Illinois

Type of bass: Largemouth, white bass

Best time to fish: Spring

Did you know: Newton Lake is a cooling reservoir owned by power company Dynegy.

Bottom line: Ranked as the top bass lake in Illinois by Bassmaster, Newton Lake routinely produces winning hauls of more than 20 pounds in bass tournaments.

Indiana: Patoka Lake

Location: Dubois, Crawford, and Orange Counties, southern Indiana

Type of bass: Largemouth, white, striped

Best time to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: Striped bass were introduced to the lake only in the past few years, and have been "growing like mad."

Bottom line: Patoka is considered by many to be the best tournament lake in the state of Indiana.

Iowa: West Okoboji Lake

Location: Dickinson County, northwest Iowa

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, white

Best times to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: West Okoboji is part of a chain of glacier-carved lakes extending from the Minnesota border.

Bottom line: The 3,850-acre lake is known for its clear waters, rock piles and weeds that produce ideal conditions for bass fishing.

Kansas: La Cygne Lake

Location: Linn County, east-central Kansas

Type of bass: Largemouth, white

Best time to fish: Year-round

Did you know: The 2,600-acre reservoir is a power plant cooling lake, resulting in warmer temperatures year-round.

Bottom line: In 2018, Bassmaster called La Cygne Lake "hands down, the best lake in Kansas," known for producing 10-pound catches.

Kentucky: Lake Barkley

Location: Livingston, Lyon and Trigg Counties, southwest Kentucky

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, white, yellow, striped

Best time to fish: Spring

Did you know: The reservoir, along with its sister lake of Kentucky Lake, splits the Kentucky-Tennessee border.

Bottom line: Lake Barkley consistently ranks among the top bass fishing lakes in the South, particularly during the spring spawn season that routinely produces trophy catches.

Louisiana: Toledo Bend Reservoir

Location: Sabine and DeSoto parishes, west-central Louisiana

Type of bass: Largemouth, spotted, white, yellow, striped

Best times to fish: Year-round

Did you know?: The 65-mile-long lake along the Texas border has long been known as one of the nation’s top destinations for bass fishing tournaments.

Bottom line: Toledo Bend was twice named the best bass fishery in the nation by Bassmaster, though its reputation has slid a bit in recent years.

Maine: Webber Pond

Location: Vassalboro, central Maine

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know?: The lake’s water level is lowered every October for weed control.

Bottom line: This small, man-made lake made Bassmaster’s Top 100 bass lakes in both 2018 and 2019.

Maryland: Upper Chesapeake Bay

Location: Top one-third northern half of Maryland

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: The entire bay spans 64,000 miles, with the top third offering the best bass opportunities.

Bottom line: Those who can master the bay’s tidal waters and array of piers, pilings and docks are well-rewarded.

Massachusetts: Wachusett Reservoir

Location: West Boylston, Clinton, Boylston, Sterling, Lancaster, central Massachusetts

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, white

Best times to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: The reservoir holds the record for largest smallmouth bass caught in Massachusetts.

Bottom line: Though motorized boats are not allowed on the lake, Wachusett Reservoir provides plenty of prime shore-fishing opportunities along its 37 miles of shoreline.

Michigan: Lake St. Clair

Location: Macomb County, eastern Michigan and western Ontario (Canada)

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, rock, white

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: Half of Lake St. Clair is located in Canada.

Bottom line: Lake St. Clair, which is best known for its trophy smallmouth population, was ranked the eighth-best bass lake in the nation in 2019 by Bassmaster and No. 2 in the Northeastern region.

Minnesota: Mille Lacs Lake

Location: Mille Lacs, Aitkin, and Crow Wing Counties, 100 miles north of Minneapolis-St. Paul area

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, rock

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: This giant 132,000-acre lake is known as one of the top smallmouth lakes in the U.S.

Bottom line: Mille Lacs Lake was ranked the fifth-best bass-fishing lake in the nation in 2018 by Bassmaster before slipping out of the top 10 in 2019.

Mississippi: Pickwick Lake

Location: Tishomingo County, northeast Mississippi

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, white, spotted, striped

Best times to fish: Spring

Did you know: The 43,000-acre reservoir spans Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

Bottom line: Best known for its smallmouth fishing, Pickwick was ranked No. 6 among the top bass lakes in the southeastern region in 2018 and 2019 by Bassmaster.

Missouri: Lake of the Ozarks

Location: Benton, Camden, Miller and Morgan Counties, central Missouri

Type of bass: Largemouth, spotted, white

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: Lake of the Ozarks is known as one of the state’s top lake resort destinations.

Bottom line: The 57,000-acre lake has been producing record-breaking weights in recent years, bringing it national attention and a spot on Bassmaster’s rankings of the top 100 bass lakes in the nation.

Montana: Fort Peck Reservoir

Location: Fort Peck, southeast of Glasgow, northeastern Montana

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring and summer

Did you kno: The 250,000-acre impoundment is Montana’s largest body of water and the fifth-largest reservoir in the U.S.

Bottom line: The Montana smallmouth record of 7.5 pounds was caught here in 2017, and it landed among the top 100 bass fisheries in the nation in Bassmaster’s 2018 rankings.

Nebraska: Lake Wanahoo

Location: Saunders County, eastern-central Nebraska

Type of bass: Largemouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: Lake Wanahoo is surrounded by well over 100 campsites.

Bottom line: Lake Wanahoo cracked Bassmaster’s top 100 list of bass fisheries for 2019, in large part due to the fact it boasts the largest sampling rate of bass 15 inches and longer in the state.

Nevada: Lake Mohave

Location: Clark County, southern Nevada

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, striped

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: This lake on the Nevada-Arizona border consists of a 67-mile-long section of the Colorado River.

Bottom line: Though it’s often overshadowed by nearby Lake Mead, this 26,500-acre reservoir gets top billing in Nevada when it comes to bass fishing, cracking Bassmaster’s 2019 top 100 list.

New Hampshire: Lake Winnipesaukee

Location: Belknap and Carroll Counties, central New Hampshire

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: During the winter, this 44,000-acre lake freezes over and becomes a popular spot for ice fishing.

Bottom line: Bassmaster included Lake Winnipesaukee on its 2019 list of top 100 bass fisheries, noting the sizable catches at an April tournament.

New Jersey: Manasquan Reservoir

Location: Monmouth County, northeast New Jersey

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, striped

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: This newer lake is operated for water supply and recreation.

Bottom line: Less than 20 years old, this 700-acre lake has come into its own as a bass fishing destination in recent years, with its coves, rocky shorelines and weedbeds offering plenty of prime opportunities.

New Mexico: Elephant Butte Reservoir

Location: Sierra County, southwestern New Mexico

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, striped

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: Elephant Butte is New Mexico’s largest lake, totaling 36,500 surface acres.

Bottom line: The reservoir has been hit hard by a drought that’s impacted the bass population, but it still cracked Bassmaster’s top 100 list again in 2019.

New York: St. Lawrence River, Thousand Islands

Location: Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties, northwestern New York

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: The river originates at the northeastern end of Lake Ontario and flows 700 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.

Bottom line: Monster smallmouth hauls from an August 2018 tournament helped convince Bassmaster to crown this 50-mile stretch of the St. Lawrence the nation’s top bass fishery for 2019.

North Carolina: Jordan Lake

Location: Chatham County, central North Carolina

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, white, striped

Best times to fish: February through April

Did you know: This 14,400-acre reservoir was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and completed in 1981.

Bottom line: A May tournament yielded a winning haul of 28.31 pounds, cementing Jordan Lake’s position as one of the top bass lakes in the southeast United States.

North Dakota: Lake Oahe

Location: Burleigh, Emmons, Morton, Sioux Counties, southern North Dakota

Type of bass: Smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: This giant reservoir formed by the Missouri River features 370,000 surface acres and 2,200 miles of shoreline.

Bottom line: Lake Oahe draws rave reviews for its smallmouth fishing, where 4- to 5-pound catches are common.

Ohio: Lake Erie

Location: 30-mile radius of Sandusky, northern Ohio

Type of bass: Smallmouth, white

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: Until mid-June, only one smallmouth can be taken from the lake per fishing trip, and it must be at least 20 inches.

Bottom line: This Great Lake's huge population of lunker smallmouths landed it the No. 4 spot on Bassmaster’s list of top northeastern bass fisheries for 2019.

Oklahoma: Lake Texoma

Location: Bryan County, southern Oklahoma

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallbouth, spotted, white, striped

Best times to fish: Year-round

Did you know: As its name implies, Lake Texoma spans the borders of Texas and Oklahoma.

Bottom line: The 89,000-acre lake landed on Bassmasters’ top 100 list thanks to its steady production of 20-pound stringers.

Oregon: Brownlee Reservoir

Location: Baker County, northeastern Oregon

Type of bass: Smallmouth

Best time to fish: Spring

Did you know: This 15,000-acre reservoir fed by the Snake River encompasses both Oregon and Idaho.

Bottom line: Recognized as a top smallmouth fishery, Brownlee is Bassmaster’s top-ranked bass lake in Oregon for 2019.

Pennsylvania: Presque Isle Bay

Location: Erie County, northwestern Pennsylvania

Type of Bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best time to fish: Spring

Did you know: Presque Isle Bay is the oldest harbor on the Great Lakes.

Bottom line: The top-ranked bass fishery in Pennsylvania, Presque Isle Bay is known for its smallmouth catch, which peaks in April when the bronzebacks spawn before heading back out to Lake Erie.

Rhode Island: Watchaug Pond

Location: Washington County, southern Rhode Island

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: This quaint 570-acre lake is located at the end of Burlingame State Park.

Bottom line: The pond is recognized as one of the top bass fisheries in Rhode Island, whether fishing from boats or the bank.

South Carolina: Santee Cooper Lakes, Marion and Moultrie

Location: Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg and Sumter

Type of Bass: Largemouth, white, striped

Best Times to Fish: Spring through fall

Did You Know?: Lakes Marion and Moultrie together form the Santee Cooper Reservoir system, with Marion ranking as the largest lake in the state.

Bottom Line: Thanks to its reputation for producing 30-pound tournament stringers, Santee Cooper topped some stiff competition to land at No. 3 on Bassmaster’s 2019 list of best bass lakes in the southeast.

South Dakota: Lake Sharpe

Location: Buffalo, Lyman, Hyde, Hughes and Stanley, central South Dakota

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, white

Best times to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: Despite the strong smallmouth action on Lake Sharpe, the lake’s most popular species for anglers is walleye.

Bottom line: May and June are the prime months for landing smallmouths in this 80-mile-long impoundment of the Missouri River as they spawn on hard-bottom areas.

Tennessee: Chickamauga Lake

Location: Hamilton, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn, Bradley, southeastern Tennessee

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, white, spotted, striped

Best times to fish: Year-round

Did you know?: The 35,000-acre impoundment near Chattanooga is a favorite stop on the national bass fishing tournament circuit.

Bottom line: Chickamauga is a fixture on the Bassmaster best bass lakes list with its trophy catches, coming in at No. 6 nationally for 2019. A February tournament logged a 12.91 pounder.

Texas: Sam Rayburn Reservoir

Location: Angelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, Jasper, Sabine Counties, eastern Texas

Type of bass: Largemouth, spotted, yellow, white, hybrid striped

Best times to fish: Year-round

Did you know: The lake is named after the legendary congressman and speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Bottom line: The nation’s top-ranked bass fishery of 2018, the 115,000-acre lake came in at No. 3 in the 2019 Bassmaster rankings, as a result of monstrous tournament hauls.

Utah: Sand Hollow Reservoir

Location: Washington County, southwestern Utah

Type of Bass: Largemouth

Best times to fish: Year-round

Did you know: The lake is connected to Quail Creek Reservoir by an underground pipeline.

Bottom line: Though not known for the lunkers it once was, Sand Hollow still boasts enough trophy catches to land on the Bassmaster top 100 list for 2019.

Vermont: Lake Champlain

Location: Grand Isle County, northwestern Vermont

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, rock

Best times to fish: Spring

Did you know: The 271,000-acre lake is partly located in New York and Quebec in Canada.

Bottom line: Boasting a diverse array of habitat ideal for fishing, Lake Champlain was rated the sixth-best bass lake in the northeastern region by Bassmaster in 2019.

Virginia: Smith Mountain Lake

Location: Franklin and Pittsylvania Counties, central Virginia

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth, striped

Best times to fish: Spring and summer

Did you know: Smith Mountain Lake is considered the most popular lake in Virginia for recreational activities and also is where the film "What About Bob?' was filmed.

Bottom Line: This 20,000-acre man-made lake is best known for its trophy largemouth catches, landing it a spot on Bassmaster’s top 100 lakes of 2019.

Washington: Potholes Reservoir

Location: Grant County, central Washington

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know?: This 27,800-square-foot lake at an elevation of 1,043 feet occasionally freezes over in winter.

Bottom line: Potholes ranked as Bassmaster’s top bass fishery in Washington state due to its abundance of submerged willows and vegetation.

West Virginia: Potomac River

Location: Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, northeastern West Virginia

Type of bass: Largemouth, smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know?: This 405-mile waterway also offers excellent angling opportunities in Maryland and Virginia as well as West Virginia.

Bottom line: In ranking the Potomac as one of the nation’s top 100 bass fisheries of 2019, Bassmaster noted that winning tournament hauls typically top 20 pounds total.

Wisconsin: Sturgeon Bay

Location: Door County, eastern Wisconsin

Types of bass: Smallmouth

Best time to fish: Spring

Did you know: Located within Lake Michigan, the bay has long attracted anglers from throughout the Midwest for its legendary smallmouth population.

Bottom line: Sturgeon Bay was the state’s top-ranked bass fishery of 2019 by Bassmaster, which noted that the trophy catches produced in tournament included a 10-fish stringer weighing nearly 58 pounds.

Wyoming: Flaming Gorge Reservoir

Location: Sweetwater County, southwestern Wyoming

Types of bass: Smallmouth

Best times to fish: Spring through fall

Did you know: Known as trout country, Wyoming has not typically generated much attention for its bass fisheries.

Bottom line: The state-record smallmouth bass was caught at this 42,000-acre lake on the southern border of the state.

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