Chautauqua Lake
New York
Previous Rankings- 2013: Not Ranked | 2012: Not Ranked 13,000 acres
Muskie are the draw for most anglers here, so smallmouth donât get a lot of attention. The lack of pressure on the brown bass has created a killer fishery.
Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario
New York
Previous Rankings- 2013: Not Ranked | 2012: Not RankedTouted as the largest freshwater bay in the world â so, itâs big
Many New Yorkers believe this is the most underappreciated bass fishery in the state â and want to keep it that way. There are both smallies and largemouth here that remain mostly unmolested.
Oneida Lake
New York
Previous Rankings- 2013: #38 | 2012: #14 79.8 square miles
Although this lake isnât at its best right now, you still have to average 18 pounds in a multiday tourney to reach the top spot.
Lake Champlain
Vermont/New York
Previous Rankings- 2013: #16 | 2012: #5 490 square miles
Besides getting to cast in a fishery where a lake monster is reported to live (think Loch Ness Monster, named Champ), anglers should get excited about the fishing. Although many anglers assume this is a smallmouth lake (which it certainly is), the largemouth here grow fat and are more abundant than many believe.
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Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River)
New York
Previous Rankings- 2013: #13 | 2012: #5350 miles of the St. Lawrence River, including 1,864 islands
The only things more numerous than islands on this New York fishery are the smallmouth swimming in it. Donât expect to enter Bassmasterâs Lunker Club by fishing here, as 6-pounders are a little tough to come by. But, expect to spend more time fighting bronzebacks than casting for them, with the average fish weighing 3 pounds.
Lake Erie, Buffalo
New York
Previous Rankings- (entire lake) 2013: #5 | 2012: #4 Most anglers focus on a 20-mile radius of Buffalo.
This section of the Great Lake is truly special. Largemouth abound in the shallow bays and marinas and smallmouth are crazy thick. As of this writing, the water here was still hard. That said, once the ice goes away, the world-class smallmouth fishery will make anglers forget about the wicked winter months. And the lack of early spring pressure will make the fishing that much better, if itâs possible. When you fish here, expect a 6-pounder every cast. Of course, you might have to wade through piles of 4-pounders to hit this mark.