Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.
Top 100 Lakes 2026: Top 10 | Central | Northeastern | Southeastern | Western
[50-mile stretch, plus eastern Lake Ontario]
While eastern Lake Ontario consistently yields the heaviest bass here, it’s possible to catch five smallmouth bass totaling 20 pounds or more anywhere on this historic waterway. Case in point: During a Turtlebox Bassmaster Open presented by Battery Tender in early August 2025, anglers launched out of Waddington, N.Y., about 80 miles from Lake Ontario, and they were limited to the river only. Canadian Cory Johnston won the three-day event with 74 pounds, 15 ounces. On Day 1, 53 of the 143 anglers bagged limits weighing 20 pounds or more, including three limits over 25 pounds. The catch on Day 2 was just as strong, with three limits over 26 pounds plus a fourth over 25. Lucas Murphy caught the heaviest limit that day with an impressive 26-12.
[430 square miles]
The spectacular smallmouth fishing in this shallow, grass-filled inland sea makes it a strong contender to be the top brown bass fishery in the nation. In early August 2025, anglers competing in a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournament caught incredible limits of smallmouth bass while fishing practically in the shadows of Detroit, Mich. Illinoisan Trey McKinney earned the blue trophy with a four-day tally of 96 pounds, 1 ounce. On the first day, 44 of the 101 anglers weighed in 20 pounds or more. They added 40 more 20-pound bags the next day, including Tucker Smith’s 26-2 haul — the heaviest of the tournament. And the 50 anglers competing on Day 3 added 22 more.
[30-mile radius from Buffalo]
The 2025 annual report from New York State’s Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit states that the smallmouth bass fishing in Erie’s Eastern Basin was “average.” However, average for these waters equates to incredible smallmouth fishing on the numerous rocky nearshore points, flats and offshore reefs. Local tournament results back up that statement. The winning team of a Lake Erie Bass Challenge event last September weighed in 26.55 pounds. An event held last April on the same trail was won with 25.78 pounds, and the tournament big bass weighed 6.11 pounds.
[30-mile radius from Buffalo]
The 2025 annual report from New York State’s Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit states that the smallmouth bass fishing in Erie’s Eastern Basin was “average.” However, average for these waters equates to incredible smallmouth fishing on the numerous rocky nearshore points, flats and offshore reefs. Local tournament results back up that statement. The winning team of a Lake Erie Bass Challenge event last September weighed in 26.55 pounds. An event held last April on the same trail was won with 25.78 pounds, and the tournament big bass weighed 6.11 pounds.
[435 square miles]
On the border between Vermont and upstate New York, this picturesque lake has long offered excellent fishing for hefty largemouth and smallmouth. However, the advent of forward-facing sonar has transformed Champlain into even more of a smallmouth mecca. Emil Wagner won a Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier presented by Bass Pro Shops in mid-September 2025 with 69 pounds, 2 ounces of smallmouth, the heaviest three-day total here in B.A.S.S. history. The field of 105 anglers sacked 46 limits over 20 pounds the first day and 38 more on Day 2, with six of the Top 10 doing so on Day 3. Paul Marks sacked the heaviest smallmouth limit, 23-11.
[17,120 acres and 16,630 acres, respectively]
Year after year, these twin lakes churn out scads of trophy smallmouth, some of which exceed 7 pounds. An exceptionally detailed tournament survey compiled by Michigan fisheries biologist Tom Goniea reveals that these lakes continue to rock. Of the seven tournaments surveyed here in 2025, six were weight-based and one length-based. An average of about 22 boats competed in each event. They weighed in 532 smallmouth and 72 largemouth, which had an eye-popping average of 3.83 pounds. The average weight for the biggest bass was 5.94, with 271 fish over 4 pounds. The length-based tournament yielded an average length of 16.6 inches.
[32 miles long, 10 miles wide]
A 19-mile peninsula divides this bay into west and east arms that connect to Lake Michigan through the same passageway. Heavyweight smallmouth abound in the aquarium-clear water, which has a maximum depth of 620 feet. A 2025 Michigan DNR survey logged 14 weight-based tournaments and one length-based event here that averaged about 18 boats per derby. They sacked 1,027 smallmouth and five largemouth that averaged 3.83 pounds. The average heaviest bass went 5.94, and 271 bass weighed over 4 pounds. Remarkably, the last three stats are precisely the same as those for Burt/Mullett, which ranks higher because Traverse Bay yielded a lower percentage of bass over 4 pounds.
[43,000 acres]
Professional-level tournaments at this glacial Finger Lake have amazed bass fans with profuse limits of huge smallmouth and largemouth. The bass thrive in the lavish aquatic vegetation and structure along the shoreline before the bottom plummets to a maximum depth of 435 feet. In mid-May, Bassmaster Opens pro Casey Smith and his partner, Liam Blake, won an Empire Team Trail catch-weigh-release event with 35 pounds, 15 ounces, including a 9-pound smallmouth. The fish was not weighed on a certified scale, so it doesn’t qualify for the record books, but it unofficially tied the state-record smallmouth. For reference, Cayuga is also home to the state-record largemouth, a 12-6 monster caught in 2024. Second place in
[17,200 acres]
This fetching lake near the top of lower Michigan provides more evidence of the Wolverine State’s remarkable smallmouth fishing. These pellucid waters consistently reward anglers with hefty brown bass. Michigan’s annual DNR survey speaks well of Charlevoix. Ten tournaments here in 2025 consisted of nine weight-based and one length-based event. These tournaments averaged about 24 boats, with anglers sacking 1,096 smallmouth and 97 largemouth that averaged 3.32 pounds. The average heaviest bass weighed an impressive 5.94 pounds. The average bass for the length-based derby measured 15.1 inches.
[Escanaba to Little Summer Island]
Situated in the western reach of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, these twin bays extend north from the much larger expanse of Wisconsin’s Green Bay and attract mainly walleye fishermen. Due to their remote location, the bays harbor a fabulous, nearly untapped smallmouth fishery. The rare bass tournament that does take place here yields a catch of nearly 100% smallmouth that typically average over 3 1/2 pounds.
[20,600 acres]
If you dream of catching hefty largemouth and smallmouth bass while surrounded by unforgettable scenery, tow your rig straight to the Blue Ridge Mountains and launch at Smith Mountain Lake. Year after year, spring tournaments here turn out heavy limits. A B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia event in late March 2026 drew 82 teams. The winners’ limit went 29.85 and included a 9.33 big bass. Nine teams sacked over 20 pounds.
[5,543 acres]
Largemouth and smallmouth thrive in this lake’s diverse habitat of submerged grass, rocky points, reefs and many coves. An annual Maine B.A.S.S. Nation Special Olympics fundraiser on Cobbosseecontee — often referred to simply as Cobbossee — on May 3, 2026, drew 59 teams that raised $8,264. It took 33.99 pounds to win the seven-bass limit event, and a 6.28-pound fish earned Lunker Largemouth top honors. The top 21 teams all had over 20 pounds. Maine B.A.S.S. Nation President Mark Desjardin thanked the tournament’s sponsors, Lakeside Lodge and Marina, Portland Shipyard and Portland Yacht Services, Inc.
[3,939 acres]
Desjardin says it’s nothing to catch 60 to 70 bass a day here. He estimated that the largemouth out-number the smallmouth in China Lake by roughly three to one. The lake features a long, narrow eastern basin, which connects to a circular western basin. A Maine B.A.S.S. Nation tournament here in early July 2025 attracted 43 teams. The winning team’s seven-bass limit weighed 30.1 pounds and included the 6.27-pound Lunker Largemouth. The top 17 teams all sacked over 20 pounds.
[5,420 acres]
Despite being nearly 100 years old, Candlewood Lake, which lies just north of New York City, produces quality largemouth and smallmouth bass like a young, burgeoning reservoir. The bass grow fat on the lake’s substantial alewife population. An annual mid-April tournament here, put on by Reynolds’ Boats, again yielded impressive results in the 2026 edition. The six-bass limit event drew 69 teams, 28 of which weighed in more than 20 pounds. The winning team had 29.47. The biggest largemouth weighed 6.07, and the biggest smallmouth was 6.58.
[5.8 square miles in the bay, plus 77 miles of Lake Erie’s Central Basin shoreline]
Spring tournaments here are often won by fishing the shallow flats and drops within Presque Isle Bay because smallmouth migrate into these warming waters to spawn. Mixed bags of smallmouth and largemouth are commonplace then. Summer and fall events are typically won by fishing flats and ledges in Erie for smallmouth. A Western PA Team Bass Series event in early April 2026 was limited to the bay. It took 22.63 pounds to best the 29 teams, with the big bass going 5.69. The top three teams all had over 20 pounds.
[8,239 acres]
“Smallmouth far outnumber the largemouth on Great Pond,” says Desjardin. “Be sure to bring plenty of tubes, drop-shot rigs and other finesse baits when you fish here.” Great Pond is located in a chain of lakes near Belgrade. Its smallmouth congregate on rocky structures and in offshore grass. It took a 24.73-pound seven-bass limit to best a field of 29 teams during a Freedom Team Trail tournament in April 2026. The top five all had over 22 pounds. The big bass weighed 4.09.
[79.8 square miles]
This pretty Finger Lake’s plentiful aquatic grass and offshore reefs have long produced numbers of mainly smallmouth bass, which far outnumber the largemouth here. Because gobies have cleared the water and fattened the smallies, heavier sacks of brown bass are showing up in tournaments. The increasing popularity of forward-facing sonar may also factor into this. A one-day BFL event that attracted 93 competitors in late August 2025 was won with 21 pounds, 7 ounces. The top three had over 20 pounds, the top 11 over 19 pounds, and 25 anglers weighed in more than 15 pounds. The big bass weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces.
[4,480 square miles, with the best fishing taking place in the top third]
Anglers who excel at dissecting shallow, aquatic grass and boat docks often tangle with hefty largemouth on this tidal fishery. The popular Susquehanna Flats area gets crowded during large tournaments, which was true of the Bassmaster Open held here in late July 2025. The Flats produced most of the 62 pounds, 13 ounces that carried Dillon Falardeau to victory. He weighed in two of the tournament’s nine limits that exceeded 20 pounds.
[1,143 square miles]
Bass anglers who fish this massive bay usually target the largemouth that swim in lush, diverse, nearshore aquatic vegetation. To reach the best smallmouth habitat requires a long run over open water. The Top Bass Tournament Trail held its two-day team championship here in early September 2025. It took 36.09 pounds to win, with the top eight teams weighing in more than 28 pounds. The 2026 Michigan DNR survey recorded that 15 small team derbies last year yielded 1,428 largemouth and 150 smallmouth that averaged 2.17 pounds.
[405 miles]
The variety of bass habitat in this tidal river supports a stable largemouth population. Bass may be caught from the abundant aquatic vegetation, sunken ships and barges, copious man-made structures and even within sight of historic buildings in Washington, D.C. It typically takes 19 pounds or more to win springtime tournaments here. In the summer and fall, 15 to 17 pounds can take top honors. A two-day weight of 33 pounds, 5 ounces won a 114-boat BFL tournament here in early September 2025. The top five exceeded 29 pounds. The big bass weighed 5-7.
[13,156 acres]
Situated in western New York, this natural lake is composed of two distinctly different basins. Largemouth prevail in the southern basin’s shallow grass, while smallmouth feel more at home in the deeper northern basin’s clear, rocky habitat. The lake is also known for its strong muskie population. The Lakes Tournament Trail from northeast Ohio held its championship event here in late September 2025, typically a slow time of year to catch bass. The two-day event drew 32 teams. The winning weight of 40.78 pounds included the 7.05-pound big bass. The top 21 teams surpassed 20 pounds.
[44,586 acres]
Quality smallmouth and largemouth bass swim in this glacial lake — the largest lake in New Hampshire. Situated in the foothills of the White Mountains, Winnipesaukee offers a variety of bass habitat, from more than 260 islands to numerous bays and offshore reefs. A regional for a nationwide tournament organization was held here in late September 2025. The winner dominated the 28 anglers who competed in the two-day event with a total of 36.59 pounds. Second place had 27.71. The top nine tallied more than 20 pounds each.
[65,530 acres]
Largemouth win most tournaments on this huge, picturesque impoundment, but it also has a strong population of spotted bass. Smallmouth comprise less than 10% of the black bass population. A tally of 33 pounds, 2 ounces took top honors during a two-day BFL event in late September 2025 that hosted 46 anglers. The top eight anglers all had over 23 pounds.
[17,088 acres]
This shallow reservoir, which straddles the Ohio/Pennsylvania border, averages 15 feet deep. Its 20-horsepower limit dissuades anglers who tow high-dollar rigs from fishing tournaments here that are won mainly with largemouth. A Keystone Bass Buddy Circuit event drew 25 teams on May 10, 2025, to compete in a six-fish limit tournament. A 13.41-pound limit won the event, with the top seven teams each sacking over 11 pounds. The tournament may have been an outlier. Previous springtime events by Keystone here have produced much heavier limits and bigger bass, like the April 2024 event that was won with 23.96 pounds.
[3,560 acres]
Don’t overlook this small lake nestled in the picturesque hills of western Pennsylvania. The Keystone State’s Big Bass Program regulations allow anglers to keep four bass 15 inches or longer, with catch-and-release only from April 12 through June 13. These regulations have long helped Shenango maintain consistently good fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass. It took 16.38 pounds to win a Western PA Team Bass Series tournament here in mid-July 2025 that hosted 24 entries. The top four teams all sacked more than 14 pounds, and the big bass weighed 4.23.
