Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.
Top 100 Lakes 2026: Top 10 | Central | Northeastern | Southeastern | Western
[110,600 acres]
(Lake Marion) and 60,400 acres (Lake Moultrie)] Say hello to the new king of the Southeast region. Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie are producing stunning largemouth right now. This fishery has always produced giants, but with the resurgence of eelgrass and hydrilla, the lakes have never been better, and it shows in the results. On Feb. 21, a Carolina Anglers Team Trail (CATT) event took a stunning 41.92 pounds to win, a limit that included three 9-pounders. Second place brought in a measly 32.38 pounds. A week later, a two-day, weather-shortened Pro Circuit event produced eight bags over 30 pounds, including limits weighing 35-4, 35-0 and 34-9, with the winner totaling 67-4. A 10-pound, 5-ounce largemouth claimed big bass. Then, in early April, five bags over 30 pounds led the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops standings, and it took 28-13 just to reach the Top 10. All the way down to the 56th-place team landed 20 pounds. And at the Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite held in mid-May, winner Chris Johnston had two 30-plus limits on the way to a 113-12 four-day total. Outside of California, Texas and Florida, there aren’t many places in the country where anglers can fish for this caliber of largemouth.
[65,000 acres]
in the four primary lakes] This chain of lakes has always been a destination, but it might be the best in Florida this year, although the weather made the early spring weights a little more pedestrian than they otherwise would have been. A severe cold front halted the spawning process ahead of the late January Turtlebox Bassmaster Open presented by Battery Tender, but Cody Stahl showed the potential, landing back-to-back 28-pound bags and winning with a three-day total of 74-6. Jonathan Kelley landed a 10-7, one of several 9- and 10-pounders caught on Day 1. When Mother Nature cooperated, it almost always took 30 pounds or more to win a tournament during the main stretch of the spawn. The early springtime always gets the love from national series, but the Kissimmee Chain is good all year long. A touch over 30 pounds earned first place in the April 26 Xtreme Bass Series tournament out of Lake Toho. Then, the winning team in the May 3 Xtreme Bass Series event out of Lake Kissimmee blasted 38 pounds and anchored its giant sack with a 10.36-pound largemouth. That wasn’t even the big bass of the tournament, which ended up being 10.48. Second place brought 34.38 to the scales.
[20-mile radius of Dunnellon]
On Lake Rousseau alone, eight largemouth over 10 pounds have been registered with the Florida TrophyCatch Program since January, the biggest being an 11-7 caught on Feb. 5. Out of the Withlacoochee River proper, two 11-pounders and a 10-15 have been registered this spring. That doesn’t include the multitude of 8-pounders in the program. In an Xtreme Bass Series event in February, it took over 25 pounds to win, and multiple 8-pounders were brought back to weigh-in. With lots of fish-holding cover and plenty of classic Florida charm, this system is a destination for any bass-loving angler.
[69,000 acres]
At this point, the production at Lake Guntersville has been so good for so many years that you forget how special of a reservoir it is. Abundant vegetation has the largemouth bass thriving, big spotted bass are a possibility, and the smallmouth fishing is incredibly underrated. Despite the lowest temperatures the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series has ever seen, and without the use of forward-facing sonar, it still took 88 pounds, 11 ounces over four days for Hank Cherry to win the blue trophy in February. Wesley Gore and Cooper Gallant each caught bass weighing over 8 pounds in that tournament. A March 7 BFL event was won with a whopping 28-10, and 20 boaters landed 20 pounds or more. Plus, a 9-pounder hit the scale.
[48,579 acres]
The largemouth bass keep on gorging on blueback herring in this central South Carolina reservoir. A late February BFL took nearly 30 pounds to win. Then, on March 21, the Carolinas Bass Challenge saw 18 teams weigh in 20 pounds or better, and the winning team finished with 26.52 pounds. The next weekend, it took 28.18 pounds to win a Carolina Anglers Team Trail (CATT) event. Another CATT event on May 2 took 29.72 pounds to win. Then, on Day 1 of the Tedy’s Team Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray, held the second weekend of May, 29 anglers weighed 20 pounds or better. You may not have the same chances at a personal best as you do at Santee Cooper, but a phenomenal fishing day is always possible on this massive reservoir.
[50-mile radius from Burgess]
This massive waterway continues to kick out giant bags of bass, and any corner can produce a big bass. It’s made up of several rivers, including some that probably have the right to be on this list individually. In an NC Bass Challenge event on the Roanoke River in March, an 8.24-pound largemouth and three more 7-pounders hit the scale, while a 9.26 largemouth was weighed in a late March CATT event on the Perquimans River. April and May saw tournaments won with 25.88, 28.08 and 28.06 pounds. It fishes well in summer, too, with several local events last season taking in the mid-20s to win. Just keep an eye on the strong coastal winds that seem to blow continuously across this place, and if it is too rough, head to the gorgeous Outer Banks.
[12,410 acres]
This Neuse River impoundment is cranking out eye-popping numbers so far in 2026, unseating Jordan Lake as North Carolina’s best reservoir in our rankings. Five bass weighing 30.88 pounds won a CATT event on March 16 before an Elevate Outdoors Team Tournament Trail on March 28 took 31.49 pounds for first, with a 9.38 taking big-fish honors. Even in late spring, the lake was in excellent condition. Eight bass over 6 1/2 pounds hit the scales in a May 2 CATT event, a tournament that took 29.2 pounds to win. Any given weekend, anglers need a mega-sack to get anywhere close to winning.
[12,550 acres]
The crown jewel of Florida trophy largemouth fishing hasn’t been quite as good as in years past, largely because of low water conditions, but there are still plenty of giant bass to be caught. In 2026, seven Orange Lake bass over 10 pounds were registered with the Florida TrophyCatch program, including a 12-14 in early March and a 13-14 in mid-February. Multiple double-digit bass and several 9-pounders were also weighed in an MLF big-fish event in mid-May.
[13,940 acres]
This Haw River impoundment has been the titan of North Carolina for many years, but 2026 hasn’t been as consistent for anglers as previous years. A 5 Alive Team Trail event in April inexplicably took just over 19 pounds to win. But big largemouth still swim in the fishery, as evidenced by the 29.58 pounds it took to win an April 25 Fishers of Men team event, where the winners anchored their limit with a 7.92. Other local events have taken between 24 and 27 pounds to win, with three events in February through April producing 9-plus-pounders.
[10,000 acres]
As far as destination lakes go, it’s hard to beat this man-made fishery located northwest of Fort Lauderdale. Thirty-seven Fellsmere largemouth were submitted to the Florida TrophyCatch program in the first four months of 2026, which is down from 2025’s tally of 78 during the same time period. Still, this year’s catch includes four 10-pounders, the biggest being a 10-8 caught on March 4. The crowds can be heavy at times, but the fishing is usually worth the boat ramp traffic.
[38,000 acres]
You can pretty much do anything on Lake Lanier and get bit. The best part is, it can either be a big, mean spotted bass or a lunker largemouth. Just over 23 pounds earned the win at a Fishers of Men event on Jan. 17, with five teams hitting the 20-pound mark. A Feb. 28 BFL took 23-4 to win, while second place was just an ounce behind, with a 7-4 largemouth included. Then 23.72 won a local event on March 21, a limit made up of all spotted bass, and over 24 pounds of mostly largemouth won in that same series in mid-April.
[43,100 acres]
Pickwick put on a show early in the year at the Bill Dance Signature Lakes Giant Bass Open when an 11.04-pound largemouth took home the first-place prize. An early April Toyota Series derby took a whopping 76-10 over three days to win, a total made up of limits weighing 24-1, 26-15 and 25-10. There were 32 bags over 20 pounds brought to the scales, and two 7-pounders were brought in. Consistency from day to day is a little more challenging than in some other years, but all the ingredients are still present in this powerhouse fishery.
[45,181 acres]
This fishery has seen its ups and downs over the past couple of years, and it can be inconsistent from week to week, but the Big Bass Capital of the World reveals itself from time to time. A two-day mark of 45.86 pounds won the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in November, but the weights quickly dropped off after that. An 8.37 and a 7.11 were caught in that tournament. The April Bassmaster Open really highlighted what this fishery can produce. Four bags over 27 pounds were caught in the three-day event, including Pake South’s 31-pound, 7-ounce final-day limit, which helped him achieve a total of 84-1. If the water level is right and the current is moving, amazing things can happen on this fishery.
[71,000 acres]
Clarks Hill holds its own quite well in the battle of the Southeast. The spotted bass are prominent in this blueback herring fishery, but the largemouth tend to be the key to success. In a Big Bass Tour event in March, an 8.26-pound largemouth took home the overall victory, and the top five bass all weighed over 7 pounds. The sixth annual Clarks Hill Classic winners caught a two-day total of 45.52 pounds, and four teams had over 40 pounds total. A 25.77-pound limit was the big bag of the event, which was held in mid-April. Then, a May 2 Super 6 Shootout was won with a whopping 26.4 pounds.
[8,800 acres]
Known more for its crappie, this Tallahassee-area reservoir is putting up bass numbers that can’t be ignored, which is why it shot into the top 25 this year. In the 93-boat Lake Talquin Open held in April, Elite Series pro Drew Cook and his son Finley won with a whopping 33.70-pound limit, a bag anchored by the 10.32 big bass. Three more limits eclipsed the 20-pound mark, and five more bass weighed 7 pounds or better. In February, it took more than 28 pounds to win an Xtreme Bass Series event, and three bass over 7 pounds were weighed for big bass.
[160,300 acres]
Largemouth and smallmouth are both thriving in Kentucky Lake right now, and it is taking impressive totals to win events. The first two events of the 2026 BFL LBL Division took 23-10 and 22-14 to win, respectively, with a 7-4 and 6-9 winning big bass. An April Toyota Series tournament took more than 64 pounds to win over three days, and the top five all averaged 20 pounds a day. A Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation team event took 23.46 pounds to win on May 2.
[37,500 acres]
Ranked as the third-best fishery in the state by Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation President Tony Beck, Lake Seminole has been a strong fishery once again in 2026. It took 20 pounds just to make the top 30 in an MLF College Fishing event in late February, a tournament won with 28-1. About 85% of the 212-boat field landed limits. A March Fishers of Men tournament was won with 24.22 pounds. Then, in a largely postspawn period, it still took almost a 20-pound daily average to win a three-day Toyota Series event at the end of April, with two 7-pounders hitting the scale.
[30 miles]
This tidal river that flows into Charleston Harbor is on fire this year. Tyler Campbell, who fished the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, caught an 11-12 on the river in late February, the bass of a lifetime nearly anywhere you go in the country. In early spring, it took well over 20 pounds to win in the CATT Cooper River Division. The season kicked off with a 26.81-pound winning sack on Feb. 7, at a tournament where three bass over 6 pounds were caught, including the 7.69 big bass. Exactly a month later, 27.62 was the winning total, and an 8.04 was the biggest largemouth.
[15,180 acres]
The numbers aren’t quite as eye-popping as they were in 2025, but High Rock Lake continues to fish very well. In fact, the entire Yadkin-Pee Dee River system (including Tuckertown, Badin and Tillery) is creating very intriguing events and big bass. A December 2025 CATT event was won with 27.86 pounds. The second-place team had 27.75, and third and fourth place were over 25 pounds, too. Then, 25.53 earned first place in a March 21 CATT event, a tournament where four 6-pound fish were caught. If production on the chain continues, next year we might see another Yadkin fishery or two in the top 25.
[27,700 acres]
A slot limit makes tournament fishing on Dale Hollow a little more difficult, but for numbers of 3- and 4-pound smallmouth and largemouth, there aren’t many better places in the South. Even 5-pounders aren’t that uncommon, as the Bill Dance Signature Lakes Giant Bass Open in March revealed. During the two-day event, 13 bass over 5 pounds were caught. The winner was a 6.49-pound largemouth. As for five-bass events, a February BFL took nearly 22 pounds to win, and the entire top 10 had 17 pounds or better.
[Approximately 75,000 acres total]
At this chain of lakes, fishing can be hero or zero, but when you’re the hero, what a day of fishing it is. Take the Fishers of Men event on Jan. 24, for example. The winners caught a massive 32.56-pound limit, anchoring it with a 10-pounder. In a Gator Division BFL on Feb. 21, 28 pounds earned the victory, while a 9-12 largemouth took big-fish honors. Then in that division’s April 11 event, the winner caught a 9-7 to anchor his 34-7 winning limit. It’s fickle, but giants obviously still swim in the Harris Chain.
[33,000 acres]
The Rez continues to be the best fishery in Mississippi, according to state biologists, and it’s not hard to see why. An early season BFL took a whopping 27 pounds, 8 ounces to win, a sack anchored by a 10-6 largemouth. A 9-pounder was weighed in during a March Fishers of Men event, a tournament where six bags over 20 pounds hit the scales. A March 21 team event was won with 26.59 pounds, and a 9-pounder was weighed there. Plenty of 16- to 18-pound stringers are being caught, too, a sign that Ross Barnett is set for a rise up the Top 100 standings.
[7,580 acres]
Back for a second year in the Top 100, South Holston continues to provide excellent smallmouth and largemouth fishing in east Tennessee. A May team event was won with 23.11 pounds, which was anchored by a 5-pound smallmouth. Five largemouth over 5 pounds were also caught in that tournament, and the top 18 teams had over 15 pounds. About a month earlier, the Barnett’s Marine Open took 20.08 pounds to win, and the top seven teams had 17 pounds or better.
[10,370 acres]
Because it’s situated between Guntersville and Chickamauga, Nickajack doesn’t get the shine it deserves, but that hasn’t kept it out of the news. On Feb. 28, Darren Nunley landed a 15-pound, 7 1/2-ounce largemouth bass that was recently certified as the new Tennessee state record. During a fundraiser tournament in April, 25.17 pounds was the winning five-bass limit, but more impressive was the 10.27-pounder that won big-bass honors. During the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship presented by Native Watercraft, where anglers could choose between Nickajack and Chickamauga, two of the top three finishers utilized Nickajack, including runner-up Josh Sharp, who landed a massive 102.75-inch limit on Day 2 of the event.
[6,700 acres]
This is a small but mighty reservoir chock-full of spotted and largemouth bass. A GSM Team Trail event in March took 20.65 pounds to win. Seven teams weighed 18 or more pounds, and two 7-pounders hit the scales. In April, a 105-boat fundraising tournament took 21.42 pounds to win. Five largemouth over 5 pounds were caught, and the biggest spotted bass clocked in at 4.95 pounds. The mountain area is beautiful any time of year, and the bass fishing will make anyone want to come back as soon as possible.
