[50-mile stretch, plus eastern Lake Ontario]
These waters continue to reign as the nation’s unrivaled trophy smallmouth fishery. An August Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournament here in 2024 once again produced Century Club belts for anglers who tallied more than 100 pounds of brown bass. Cory Johnston won with 102 pounds even. Robert Gee finished second with 100-7. More than half of the 101 anglers who competed on each day of the four-day event bagged a limit that exceeded 20 pounds.
Top 100 Lakes 2025: Top 10 | Central | Northeastern | Southeastern | Western
[30-mile radius from Buffalo]
If you wish to avoid aching wrists from battling quality smallmouth bass, stay away from Lake Erie’s eastern basin. Lake Erie Research Unit aquatic biologist Pascal Wilkins surveyed 120 bass boats from April through mid-May 2025. “There were typically two anglers per boat,” Wilkins said. “One in eight boats had caught over 50 bass in a day’s fishing. The first tournament of the year produced a smallmouth weighing over 7 pounds.” What’s more, if the wind is howling and Erie is too mean to fish, the upper Niagara River not only offers protection, but an equal number of smallmouth to chase. Or, an angler could stay inside the breakwalls and target the impressive largemouth population that tucks inside the boat harbors.
[430 square miles]
Despite averaging a depth of only 11 feet and bordering massive metropolitan Detroit, this inland sea yields incredible smallmouth fishing year after year. A three-day St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN tournament in July 2024 produced the lake’s typical spectacular catches. Jay Przekurat won with 75 pounds, 5 ounces, and all the Top 10 anglers weighed in over 66 pounds. During the first two days of the event, the 221-angler field sacked 131 limits over 20 pounds. The biggest bass weighed 6-2.
[30-mile radius of Sandusky]
Lake Erie’s western basin doesn’t yield the numbers of smallmouth it once did. However, the lake’s many islands and reefs continue to produce heavy limits of brown bass for savvy anglers, such as those who compete on the Lake Erie Bass Challenge team circuit. It took 25.78 pounds to top a 32-team field in April 2025. Twelve of the teams weighed in five-bass limits of more than 20 pounds, with the biggest bass going 6.11.
[490 square miles]
Whether you’re fishing shallow grass for largemouth or probing rocky, offshore structure for smallmouth, this scenic lake will keep a deep bend in your rod. A Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournament held here in August 2024 underscored Champlain’s productivity. Three anglers amassed over 80 pounds during the three-day event, including winner Ed Loughran III, who sacked 80-12. On the first two days of the tournament, the 101 competitors weighed in 40 five-bass limits exceeding 20 pounds.
[17,120 acres and 16,630 acres, respectively]
Some of Michigan’s biggest smallmouth bass roam these twin lakes, including behemoths of more than 7 pounds. Michigan fisheries biologist Thomas Goniea compiles excellent annual bass tournament surveys that reveal the best bass waters in the Wolverine State. With 11 tournaments here in 2024 that averaged 22.2 anglers per event, more than half of the bass brought to the scale exceeded 4 pounds. Over 80% of all the bass caught were smallmouth, and the average weight was 3.2 pounds.
[32 miles long, 10 miles wide]
This massive bay opens into northern Lake Michigan and lies just inside the pinkie finger of the glove-shaped Wolverine State. On a calm day, you can see hefty smallmouth bass swimming 20 feet deep through these pellucid waters. A 2024 Michigan DNR survey logged nine (mainly team) tournaments here that averaged 38 anglers. The 783 bass weighed in averaged 3.7 pounds, with 270 topping 4 pounds. Over 99% were smallmouth, and the biggest bass weighed 6.2.
[38 miles long, 3 1/2 miles wide]
The submerged grass and bottom structures that rim this glacial Finger Lake support copious largemouth and smallmouth bass. With a maximum depth of 435 feet, a variety of trout species live offshore. A state championship tournament here in June 2024 attests to the quality of bass that swim these waters. Eight of the 36 teams tallied more than 40 pounds during the two-day event. The winners sacked 49.49. The biggest largemouth weighed 8.05, and the biggest smallmouth went 7.21.
[17,200 acres]
Surrounded by verdant shorelines and rolling hills, this crystalline lake near the tip of lower Michigan consistently grows heavyweight smallmouth. A survey by Michigan’s DNR compiled the results of 11 (mainly team) tournaments here in 2024 that averaged 25.9 anglers. Of the 779 bass weighed in, 197 were over 4 pounds, with 91.8% of them being smallmouth. The average weight was 3.3 pounds, with the biggest bass going 5.1 pounds.
[Escanaba to Little Summer Island]
Bass anglers who venture to Bays de Noc in upper Michigan routinely battle trophy bronze bass. These bays have produced smallmouth of more than 7 pounds. A Michigan DNR report compiled the results of five tournaments here in 2024 that yielded 98.4% smallmouth. The roughly 28 anglers who competed in each of these events weighed in 588 bass, with 61 of the fish exceeding 4 pounds. The average weight was 3.6 pounds. The big bass weighed 5.92.
[20,600 acres]
Nestled in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Smith Mountain Lake treats anglers to spectacular scenery and superb fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass. A tournament here in mid-March 2024 attracted 127 teams. The winners sacked 23.61, and five other teams had over 20 pounds. The top 21 teams weighed in over 15 pounds. The biggest largemouth weighed 7.32, and the best smallmouth went 5.85.
[5,543 acres]
Small but mighty, this natural lake consistently produces quality largemouth and smallmouth bass. Submerged vegetation, numerous coves, rocky points and reefs lend themselves to a wide variety of bass fishing tactics even though Cobbossee is currently battling three different aquatic invasive species (AIS). With AIS control efforts in full effect, including encouragement to boaters to implement “Clean, Drain, Dry” practices and sections of the lake being marked off as AIS zones, there is still good fishing to be found here. Maine B.A.S.S. Nation held a seven-bass-limit tournament here in May 2024 that drew 34 teams. The winners weighed in 28.24 pounds, and the top 21 teams all had over 20 pounds. The biggest largemouth weighed 7.03; the biggest smallmouth went 4.74.
[3,845 acres]
This lake’s long, narrow east basin has many islands, while the west basin is circular. Both yield exceptional bass fishing for anglers who target fallen trees, docks and rocky outcroppings. A Maine B.A.S.S. Nation tournament here in June 2024 drew 41 teams. The winner’s seven-bass limit weighed 26.98 pounds, and the top eight teams sacked over 20 pounds. The big bass weighed 5.93.
[8,533 acres]
This lake’s many islands, rocky shorelines and submerged structures teem with smallmouth bass that make for an action-packed day of fishing. Largemouth are less abundant, but it typically takes a few kicker green ones to win tournaments here. In May 2024, it took 23.05 pounds to win a Fishers of Men tournament that hosted 18 teams. A 17.3 bag took second place. The biggest largemouth weighed 5.3; the best smallmouth was 3.85.
[5,420 acres]
This 104-year-old reservoir, which lies just north of New York City, continues to churn out quality bass. Part of this may be due to an abundance of alewives. An annual six-bass-limit tournament put on by Reynolds’ Boats in mid-April 2025 yielded its typical results. The winners surpassed the 63 teams with 26.29 pounds, with the top nine weighing in over 20 pounds. The biggest largemouth went 6.83; the biggest smallmouth 5.22.
[5.8 square miles in the bay, plus 77 miles of Lake Erie’s central basin shoreline]
Smallmouth swarm into Presque Isle Bay from Lake Erie to spawn every spring, and savvy anglers take full advantage of this migration. Most of the brown bass return to Lake Erie’s central basin in the summer and fall. A Pennsylvania B.A.S.S. Nation tournament here in June 2024 had a three-bass limit. The winner’s 11.36 pounds bested a field of 47 anglers, with the top eight sacking over 10 pounds. The big bass went 4.48.
[79.8 square miles]
The abundant smallmouth in this scenic Finger Lake have grown heavier due to the influx of gobies. Largemouth are less plentiful, but they have won tournaments here. The water clarity has improved considerably since zebra mussels invaded the lake, resulting in increased aquatic vegetation in 5 to 15 feet of water. A two-day state championship tournament in June 2024 was won with 34.8 pounds, with the top five anglers weighing in over 29 pounds.
[The entire bay is more than 64,000 square miles, but the best fishing is in the top third]
This tidal fishery can be challenging. But those who figure out when and how to fish the grass, boat docks and other bass-holding features do well. In June 2024, Ike’s Pro-Am Bass Tournament, which is put on by the New Jersey B.A.S.S. Nation, drew 38 teams. Every team weighed in over 15 pounds, and the top nine teams bagged more than 19 pounds. A 23.3 limit won the event. The big bass weighed 5.7.
[1,877 acres]
This is the baby brother of some of the better-known Finger Lakes located in the heart of New York’s wine country. It is the most easterly of the 11 lakes and boasts one of the best largemouth populations of all the glacial fisheries. This little jewel has a maximum depth of 76 feet, but bass anglers would be wise to focus on the area south of the causeway, where the average depth is closer to 6 feet and submerged vegetation abounds. The Central New York Bass Fishing Association held an event here last August and of the 19 competitors, five of them weighed in more than 20 pounds. Seven bass brought to the scales weighed over 5 pounds, with a 5.27-pounder taking big bass honors. The winner of the event had almost 23 pounds. So, although this lake isn’t big, the bass swimming here are.
[405 miles]
This historic tidal river flows past our nation’s capital and yields excellent fishing for largemouth. The bass do well in the considerable aquatic vegetation, and they also relate to sunken ships, barges and many other man-made structures. The Potomac Teams Circuit had an exceptional event in early April 2025 with 108 entries. The winners caught 21.57. The top six sacked over 19 pounds, and the top 44 weighed in over 15 pounds. The big bass weighed 6.97.
[1,143 square miles]
Most anglers who visit this enormous bay target the bountiful largemouth that flourish in nearshore aquatic vegetation. It takes a long run to reach good smallmouth habitat. In early June 2024, a two-day Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops event with 196 teams took place here. On Day 1, the top 15 teams caught over 14 pounds. They fared better the second day as 36 teams weighed in more than 14 pounds, including four teams bagging over 19 pounds. The winning weight was 35-2.
[13,156 acres]
Best known as a muskie fishery, this natural lake also grows quality smallmouth and largemouth bass. The clear, rocky, northern basin provides ideal smallmouth habitat, while many largemouth reside in the shallower, weedy southern basin. It took 22.68 pounds to win a Lakes Tournament Trail event that fielded 46 teams in July 2024. Twelve teams had over 15 pounds. The biggest bass weighed 6.46, with three more exceeding 5 pounds.
[20 miles long, 9 miles wide]
“The smallmouth population is not as robust as in the past due to an explosion of lake trout eating all the smelt,” said John Foster of New Hampshire B.A.S.S. Nation. “The winners of events usually have all largemouth now.” However, the numerous bays, offshore reefs and islands still produce good fishing. It took 20.17 pounds to win a four-bass limit team tournament in late April 2024. Six of the 69 teams had over 15 pounds. The big bass weighed 7.57.
[17,088 acres]
Straddling the Ohio/Pennsylvania border, this reservoir impounded mainly swampland in the 1930s and averages 15 feet deep. It doesn’t host sizable bass tournaments due to its 20-horsepower limit. Anglers who cast for largemouth do well. A Keystone Bass tournament, which has a six-bass limit, hosted 39 teams here in late April 2024. The winners bagged 23.96 pounds, and the top three teams all had over 19 pounds. The big bass weighed 6.72.
[65,530 acres]
This massive, scenic reservoir, known as the “Houseboat Capital of the World,” ranks fourth in the nation for the number of visitor hours. Some of those hours include bass anglers. Kentucky fisheries biologist Marcy Anderson stated that the largemouth population continues to increase and that more smallmouth over the 18-inch size limit are being weighed in at tournaments.
