Best Bass Lakes

100 Best Bass Lakes of 2018: Northeastern

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<h4>1. Lake St. Clair, Michigan</h4><br> [430 square miles] St. Clair emphatically claims the top spot in the Northeast region. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources collected the results from about 2,000 bass tournaments throughout the state in 2017. The data, compiled by fisheries biologist Tom Goniea, is a boon to fisheries managers and bass anglers alike. Despite enormous fishing pressure, St. Clair steadily produces scads of quality smallmouth bass. The largemouth fishery is secondary but quite good. Over the course of 80 tournaments in 2017, the average bass weighed 3.08 pounds, with hundreds of fish going over 4 pounds. The biggest bass weighed 6.80. In late August 2017, Oklahoma pro Jason Christie won a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament with a four-day total of 88 pounds. The Top 7 anglers in that event averaged more than 20 pounds per day.
1. Lake St. Clair, Michigan
[430 square miles] St. Clair emphatically claims the top spot in the Northeast region. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources collected the results from about 2,000 bass tournaments throughout the state in 2017. The data, compiled by fisheries biologist Tom Goniea, is a boon to fisheries managers and bass anglers alike. Despite enormous fishing pressure, St. Clair steadily produces scads of quality smallmouth bass. The largemouth fishery is secondary but quite good. Over the course of 80 tournaments in 2017, the average bass weighed 3.08 pounds, with hundreds of fish going over 4 pounds. The biggest bass weighed 6.80. In late August 2017, Oklahoma pro Jason Christie won a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament with a four-day total of 88 pounds. The Top 7 anglers in that event averaged more than 20 pounds per day.
<h4>2. Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River), New York</h4><br> [50-mile stretch] This picturesque bass fishery has excellent largemouth fishing, but the green ones tend to be overlooked due to the abundance of hefty smallmouth bass that thrive in these clear waters. Legendary bass pro Kevin VanDam won his 24th Bassmaster tournament, an Elite Series event, on the St. Lawrence River in July 2017. His four-day weight of 90-3 is one of the highest tallies of smallmouth ever recorded in an Elite Series tournament. VanDam also caught the 6-5 big bass. The Top 5 anglers all averaged over 20 pounds of bass per day.
2. Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River), New York
[50-mile stretch] This picturesque bass fishery has excellent largemouth fishing, but the green ones tend to be overlooked due to the abundance of hefty smallmouth bass that thrive in these clear waters. Legendary bass pro Kevin VanDam won his 24th Bassmaster tournament, an Elite Series event, on the St. Lawrence River in July 2017. His four-day weight of 90-3 is one of the highest tallies of smallmouth ever recorded in an Elite Series tournament. VanDam also caught the 6-5 big bass. The Top 5 anglers all averaged over 20 pounds of bass per day.
<h4>3. Lake Erie, New York</h4><br> [30-mile radius from Buffalo] Erie’s eastern basin continues to produce 20-plus-pound limits of smallmouth bass and quantities of them, as well. A one-day tournament with 55 entrants took place in June 2017. A five-bass limit weighing 24.19 claimed first place, and the Top 5 anglers all had over 20 pounds. The big bass was 5.84 pounds. You may catch and release bass from the first Saturday in May until the season bass opener on the third Saturday in June.
3. Lake Erie, New York [30-mile radius from Buffalo] Erie’s eastern basin continues to produce 20-plus-pound limits of smallmouth bass and quantities of them, as well. A one-day tournament with 55 entrants took place in June 2017. A five-bass limit weighing 24.19 claimed first place, and the Top 5 anglers all had over 20 pounds. The big bass was 5.84 pounds. You may catch and release bass from the first Saturday in May until the season bass opener on the third Saturday in June.
<h4>4. Lake Erie, Ohio</h4><br> [30-mile radius of Sandusky] Erie’s western basin is one of the best places in the U.S. to catch the smallmouth bass of a lifetime and five-bass limits of the brown ones that exceed 20 pounds. However, it isn’t giving up the number of bass it did previously, claims Capt. Bob Troxel (lakeeriesmallmouth.com). “It wasn’t uncommon to catch 100 smallmouth a day in years past,” Troxel said. “Now it’s uncommon for two guys to catch much over 25 bass a day, but they will be big.”
4. Lake Erie, Ohio [30-mile radius of Sandusky] Erie’s western basin is one of the best places in the U.S. to catch the smallmouth bass of a lifetime and five-bass limits of the brown ones that exceed 20 pounds. However, it isn’t giving up the number of bass it did previously, claims Capt. Bob Troxel (lakeeriesmallmouth.com). “It wasn’t uncommon to catch 100 smallmouth a day in years past,” Troxel said. “Now it’s uncommon for two guys to catch much over 25 bass a day, but they will be big.”
<h4>5. Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont </h4><br> [490 square miles] Any tournament here may be won with smallmouth or largemouth or a combination of both. Aaron Martens brought in mixed bags when he won an Elite Series tournament in July 2017. His three-day tally (tournament shortened one day due to bad weather) weighed 58-12. Martens’ final-day limit weighed 23-5. The big bass of the tournament went 6-4.
5. Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont [490 square miles] Any tournament here may be won with smallmouth or largemouth or a combination of both. Aaron Martens brought in mixed bags when he won an Elite Series tournament in July 2017. His three-day tally (tournament shortened one day due to bad weather) weighed 58-12. Martens’ final-day limit weighed 23-5. The big bass of the tournament went 6-4.
<h4>6. Bays de Noc, Michigan</h4><br> [Escanaba to Little Summer Island] The few bass tournaments that take place on this far north “walleye” fishery are real eye-openers. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources collected data from five events that yielded a total of 181 bass. Fourteen bass were largemouth, and the rest were smallmouth. The average bass weighed an astounding 4.17 pounds, with the biggest going 6.69. Over 100 of the bass — more than half — exceeded 4 pounds.
6. Bays de Noc, Michigan [Escanaba to Little Summer Island] The few bass tournaments that take place on this far north “walleye” fishery are real eye-openers. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources collected data from five events that yielded a total of 181 bass. Fourteen bass were largemouth, and the rest were smallmouth. The average bass weighed an astounding 4.17 pounds, with the biggest going 6.69. Over 100 of the bass — more than half — exceeded 4 pounds.
<h4>7. Saginaw Bay, Michigan</h4><br> [1,143 square miles] Saginaw Bay attracts far more walleye fishermen than bass anglers. Data collected from three 2017 tournaments show that about 25 percent of the 158 bass weighed in were largemouth. The rest were smallmouth. The average bass was an impressive 3.55 pounds, with 116 of them weighing over 4 pounds. The biggest bass went 6.44.
7. Saginaw Bay, Michigan [1,143 square miles] Saginaw Bay attracts far more walleye fishermen than bass anglers. Data collected from three 2017 tournaments show that about 25 percent of the 158 bass weighed in were largemouth. The rest were smallmouth. The average bass was an impressive 3.55 pounds, with 116 of them weighing over 4 pounds. The biggest bass went 6.44.
<h4>8. Lake Charlevoix, Michigan</h4><br> [17,200 acres] Eight club tournaments in 2017 weighed 421 smallmouth and four largemouth. Over 100 of those bass weighed 4 pounds or more, with an average of 3.50 pounds. The biggest bass weighed 6.12. Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation tournaments here have weighed limits of smallmouth bass in excess of 25 pounds.
8. Lake Charlevoix, Michigan [17,200 acres] Eight club tournaments in 2017 weighed 421 smallmouth and four largemouth. Over 100 of those bass weighed 4 pounds or more, with an average of 3.50 pounds. The biggest bass weighed 6.12. Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation tournaments here have weighed limits of smallmouth bass in excess of 25 pounds.
<h4>9. Burt/Mullett lakes, Michigan</h4><br> [17,120 acres and 16,630 acres, respectively] Primarily a smallmouth factory, these waters also give up a fair number of quality largemouth. Ten tournaments in 2017 produced 328 bass, which included 70 of the big-mouth variety. The average bass weighed 3.31 pounds, with 48 fish going over 4 pounds. The big bass weighed 6.43.
9. Burt/Mullett lakes, Michigan [17,120 acres and 16,630 acres, respectively] Primarily a smallmouth factory, these waters also give up a fair number of quality largemouth. Ten tournaments in 2017 produced 328 bass, which included 70 of the big-mouth variety. The average bass weighed 3.31 pounds, with 48 fish going over 4 pounds. The big bass weighed 6.43.
<h4>10. Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan</h4><br> [32 miles long, 10 miles wide] If you’d like to treat yourself to fishing in water so clear you can see bass 20 feet deep, this is the place to go. Data from seven tournaments suggest that the smallmouth fishing in 2017 slipped a bit from the previous year. However, there may have been adverse fishing conditions that skewed the results. The 259 bass weighed an averaged 2.85 pounds, which is down from an average of more than 3 pounds in 2016. Thirty bass weighed over 4 pounds, and the biggest went 5.81.
10. Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan [32 miles long, 10 miles wide] If you’d like to treat yourself to fishing in water so clear you can see bass 20 feet deep, this is the place to go. Data from seven tournaments suggest that the smallmouth fishing in 2017 slipped a bit from the previous year. However, there may have been adverse fishing conditions that skewed the results. The 259 bass weighed an averaged 2.85 pounds, which is down from an average of more than 3 pounds in 2016. Thirty bass weighed over 4 pounds, and the biggest went 5.81.
<h4>11. Potomac River, Maryland/Virginia/West Virginia</h4><br> [405 miles] There have been grumblings that the Potomac River is not as good as it once was. However, recent tournament results show that this historic river is still a top-notch bass fishery. It took 24-10 to win a major one-day tournament with a five-bass limit in late April 2018. A Potomac River Battle Series tournament in early April 2017 produced a 22.73-pound winning catch and 12 other five-bass limits that topped 20 pounds. The big bass went 7.81. It also took over 20 pounds to win tournaments in this series held in late April and late May 2017.
11. Potomac River, Maryland/Virginia/West Virginia [405 miles] There have been grumblings that the Potomac River is not as good as it once was. However, recent tournament results show that this historic river is still a top-notch bass fishery. It took 24-10 to win a major one-day tournament with a five-bass limit in late April 2018. A Potomac River Battle Series tournament in early April 2017 produced a 22.73-pound winning catch and 12 other five-bass limits that topped 20 pounds. The big bass went 7.81. It also took over 20 pounds to win tournaments in this series held in late April and late May 2017.
<h4>12. Oneida Lake, New York</h4><br> [79.8 square miles] Oneida continues to produce good numbers of quality bass. The smallmouth appear to be bulking up due to the recent infestation of gobies. A three-day Bassmaster Northern Open in July 2017 was dominated by smallmouth bass, but Pennsylvanian Stanley Sypeck won the event with largemouth totaling 55-8. Elite Series pro Wesley Strader of Tennessee finished second with three limits of smallmouth weighing 52-3.
12. Oneida Lake, New York [79.8 square miles] Oneida continues to produce good numbers of quality bass. The smallmouth appear to be bulking up due to the recent infestation of gobies. A three-day Bassmaster Northern Open in July 2017 was dominated by smallmouth bass, but Pennsylvanian Stanley Sypeck won the event with largemouth totaling 55-8. Elite Series pro Wesley Strader of Tennessee finished second with three limits of smallmouth weighing 52-3.
<h4>13. Cayuga Lake, New York</h4><br> [38 miles long, 3 1/2 miles wide] This deep, two-story fishery supports strong populations of trout as well as largemouth and smallmouth bass. Smallmouth dominate the catch during their spawn and prespawn phases, while largemouth are willing to bite spring through fall in the grassbeds that rim the lake. In late August 2017, Kurt Keller won the TRADWINS Cayuga Lake Rochester Bassmasters AOY tournament with a five-bass limit of 19.25 pounds.
13. Cayuga Lake, New York [38 miles long, 3 1/2 miles wide] This deep, two-story fishery supports strong populations of trout as well as largemouth and smallmouth bass. Smallmouth dominate the catch during their spawn and prespawn phases, while largemouth are willing to bite spring through fall in the grassbeds that rim the lake. In late August 2017, Kurt Keller won the TRADWINS Cayuga Lake Rochester Bassmasters AOY tournament with a five-bass limit of 19.25 pounds.
<h4>14. Lake Barkley, Kentucky</h4><br> [68,000 acres] Barkley doesn’t have the amount of ledge-fishing opportunities that exist in Kentucky Lake, but it still produces good numbers of quality bass. “Barkley has come on for big fish the last couple of years,” said Lee McClelland, associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine. Tournament data collected in 2017 by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife shows that the average weight to win an eight-hour tournament was 17.25 pounds, which is up from 16.41 in 2016.
14. Lake Barkley, Kentucky [68,000 acres] Barkley doesn’t have the amount of ledge-fishing opportunities that exist in Kentucky Lake, but it still produces good numbers of quality bass. “Barkley has come on for big fish the last couple of years,” said Lee McClelland, associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine. Tournament data collected in 2017 by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife shows that the average weight to win an eight-hour tournament was 17.25 pounds, which is up from 16.41 in 2016.
<h4>15. Presque Isle Bay, Pennsylvania</h4><br> [5.8 square miles] Pennsylvania’s only Great Lakes port, Presque Isle Bay produces good fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass. The habitat features grass, shallow flats and sharp drops. The peak action begins in April, when Lake Erie smallmouth swarm into the bay to spawn. A 32-boat Father’s Day open tournament in June 2017 was won with a six-bass limit of 23.72 pounds. The Top 7 teams all bagged over 20 pounds.
15. Presque Isle Bay, Pennsylvania [5.8 square miles] Pennsylvania’s only Great Lakes port, Presque Isle Bay produces good fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass. The habitat features grass, shallow flats and sharp drops. The peak action begins in April, when Lake Erie smallmouth swarm into the bay to spawn. A 32-boat Father’s Day open tournament in June 2017 was won with a six-bass limit of 23.72 pounds. The Top 7 teams all bagged over 20 pounds.
<h4>16. Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland</h4><br> [The entire bay is more than 64,000 square miles, but the best fishing is in the top one-third.] In June 2017, the average bass brought in at the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors weighed 3.3 pounds. New Jersey angler Michael Sentore won the event with a three-day tally of 59-7. He fished docks and wood cover on low tide, and grass flats on high tide. The big bass weighed 5-15.
16. Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland [The entire bay is more than 64,000 square miles, but the best fishing is in the top one-third.] In June 2017, the average bass brought in at the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors weighed 3.3 pounds. New Jersey angler Michael Sentore won the event with a three-day tally of 59-7. He fished docks and wood cover on low tide, and grass flats on high tide. The big bass weighed 5-15.
<h4>17. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky</h4><br> [65,530 acres] Although Cumberland is not the place to go for lunkers, anglers catch good numbers of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass here. “The lake was pulled down for several years to repair the dam,” said Lee McClelland, associate editor of Kentucky Afield magazine. “During that time, a lot of trees and brush grew up. It created a new lake effect after the dam was repaired.” Data compiled by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources show that the average limit in 2017 weighed 9.32 pounds. A major four-day tournament was won here in April 2018 with 70-2.
17. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky [65,530 acres] Although Cumberland is not the place to go for lunkers, anglers catch good numbers of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass here. “The lake was pulled down for several years to repair the dam,” said Lee McClelland, associate editor of Kentucky Afield magazine. “During that time, a lot of trees and brush grew up. It created a new lake effect after the dam was repaired.” Data compiled by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources show that the average limit in 2017 weighed 9.32 pounds. A major four-day tournament was won here in April 2018 with 70-2.
<h4>18. Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia</h4><br> [20,600 acres] The largemouth is the dominant bass species here. However, past tournaments have been won with smallmouth, which tend to be found on the lower end of the lake. In March 2017, a large one-day tournament was won with a five-bass limit that weighed 19-10. Second place was 19-5. In April 2018, the winning fish in a big-bass tournament weighed an impressive 8.32 pounds.
18. Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia [20,600 acres] The largemouth is the dominant bass species here. However, past tournaments have been won with smallmouth, which tend to be found on the lower end of the lake. In March 2017, a large one-day tournament was won with a five-bass limit that weighed 19-10. Second place was 19-5. In April 2018, the winning fish in a big-bass tournament weighed an impressive 8.32 pounds.
<h4>19. Webber Pond, Maine</h4><br> [1,233 acres] Ken Hoehlein, a bass nut originally from Missouri who is on Maine’s Inland Fish & Wildlife Bass Advisory Committee, rates this small, grassy, natural lake as Maine’s best bass fishery. He visited Webber in mid-April 2018 and boated a pair of 5-pound largemouth in two hours. He says this is nothing unusual for Webber and that five-bass limits of more than 20 pounds are commonplace.
19. Webber Pond, Maine [1,233 acres] Ken Hoehlein, a bass nut originally from Missouri who is on Maine’s Inland Fish & Wildlife Bass Advisory Committee, rates this small, grassy, natural lake as Maine’s best bass fishery. He visited Webber in mid-April 2018 and boated a pair of 5-pound largemouth in two hours. He says this is nothing unusual for Webber and that five-bass limits of more than 20 pounds are commonplace.
<h4>20. China Lake, Maine</h4><br> [3,845 acres] “Nothing has changed at China Lake,” said Ken Hoehlein, who is on Maine’s Inland Fish & Wildlife Bass Advisory Committee. “It is still consistently very good.” Very good is an understatement. Hoehlein stated that a 58-boat tournament at China Lake in late April 2018 produced nearly 20 five-bass limits over 20 pounds. Given the lake’s extensive aquatic vegetation, it yields mainly largemouth with some smallmouth.
20. China Lake, Maine [3,845 acres] “Nothing has changed at China Lake,” said Ken Hoehlein, who is on Maine’s Inland Fish & Wildlife Bass Advisory Committee. “It is still consistently very good.” Very good is an understatement. Hoehlein stated that a 58-boat tournament at China Lake in late April 2018 produced nearly 20 five-bass limits over 20 pounds. Given the lake’s extensive aquatic vegetation, it yields mainly largemouth with some smallmouth.
<h4>21. Great Pond, Maine</h4><br> [8,533 acres] “Great Pond is incredibly deep and rocky and conducive to smallmouth,” said Ken Hoehlein, who is on Maine’s Inland Fish & Wildlife Bass Advisory Committee. In June 2018, Hank Parker filmed a fishing show on Great Pond and Hoehlein was his guest. They caught more than 80 smallmouth that day, including several over 4 pounds.
21. Great Pond, Maine [8,533 acres] “Great Pond is incredibly deep and rocky and conducive to smallmouth,” said Ken Hoehlein, who is on Maine’s Inland Fish & Wildlife Bass Advisory Committee. In June 2018, Hank Parker filmed a fishing show on Great Pond and Hoehlein was his guest. They caught more than 80 smallmouth that day, including several over 4 pounds.
<h4>22. Candlewood Lake, Connecticut</h4><br> [5,420 acres] Milfoil and eelgrass abound, and the vegetation helps the lake maintain a healthy population of bass. New Jersey angler Mike Rinaldi won a single-day tournament in April 2018 with a five-bass limit weighing 18.75 pounds. Second and third place were over 17 pounds, with the biggest bass, a smallmouth, weighing 5.06.
22. Candlewood Lake, Connecticut [5,420 acres] Milfoil and eelgrass abound, and the vegetation helps the lake maintain a healthy population of bass. New Jersey angler Mike Rinaldi won a single-day tournament in April 2018 with a five-bass limit weighing 18.75 pounds. Second and third place were over 17 pounds, with the biggest bass, a smallmouth, weighing 5.06.
<h4>23. Chautauqua Lake, New York</h4><br> [13,156 acres] You won’t catch many trophy bass at Chautauqua, but you won’t want for action, either. The Adrian College team of Jarrett Martin and Zachary Graham won a college tournament here in July 2017 with 16-3. They culled their five-fish limit of largemouth and smallmouth bass from 20 keepers they caught by fishing a 40-yard stretch where a rocky flat met a grassline.
23. Chautauqua Lake, New York [13,156 acres] You won’t catch many trophy bass at Chautauqua, but you won’t want for action, either. The Adrian College team of Jarrett Martin and Zachary Graham won a college tournament here in July 2017 with 16-3. They culled their five-fish limit of largemouth and smallmouth bass from 20 keepers they caught by fishing a 40-yard stretch where a rocky flat met a grassline.
<h4>24. Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire</h4><br> [20 miles long, 9 miles wide] You’ll get plenty of action with smallmouth and largemouth bass here. Lunkers do swim in these waters, but not in large numbers. The Mike McNamara Memorial Open team tournament, which has a four-bass limit, was held here on April 30, 2017. The team of Rob Messanger and John Lavesque won the event with 17.92 lbs. The heaviest largemouth weighed 5.98 pounds, while heaviest smallmouth went 4.28.
24. Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire [20 miles long, 9 miles wide] You’ll get plenty of action with smallmouth and largemouth bass here. Lunkers do swim in these waters, but not in large numbers. The Mike McNamara Memorial Open team tournament, which has a four-bass limit, was held here on April 30, 2017. The team of Rob Messanger and John Lavesque won the event with 17.92 lbs. The heaviest largemouth weighed 5.98 pounds, while heaviest smallmouth went 4.28.
<h4>25. Kentucky Lake, Kentucky/Tennessee</h4><br> [160,309 acres] In 2017, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources collected and compiled tournament data from 391 bass tournaments. With multiple events in different seasons, the average Kentucky Lake bass weighed 3.22 pounds. The average weight for the big bass was 6.19 pounds. On March 20, 2018, Indiana angler Kane Hackleback won a large one-day tournament with five bass that weighed 29-8. His biggest bass weighed 7-8.
25. Kentucky Lake, Kentucky/Tennessee [160,309 acres] In 2017, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources collected and compiled tournament data from 391 bass tournaments. With multiple events in different seasons, the average Kentucky Lake bass weighed 3.22 pounds. The average weight for the big bass was 6.19 pounds. On March 20, 2018, Indiana angler Kane Hackleback won a large one-day tournament with five bass that weighed 29-8. His biggest bass weighed 7-8.

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