The selection process has been tweaked and refined over the years to bring to you the most up-to-date rankings of the hottest fishing destinations in the U.S.
Bassmaster Magazine ranks the top 100 Best Bass Lakes each year, split by region. Look at the Top 25 Best Bass Lakes for the Western, Northeastern and Central regions...
Bassmaster Magazine ranks the top 100 Best Bass Lakes each year, split by region. Look at the Top 25 Best Bass Lakes for the Western, Southeastern and Northeastern ...
![<h4>1. Clear Lake, California</h4><br>[43,785 acres] The Golden State’s largest natural lake remains one of the best largemouth factories in the country. Home to more trophy bass in the 6- to 10-pound class than any other body of water in the West, it pr](https://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/styles/bass_small/public/galleries/2018/06/bbl_w_01_clearlake_2018.jpg?itok=otyITQiv)
![<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 20](https://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/styles/bass_small/public/galleries/2018/06/bbl_n_01_stclair_2018_ja.jpg?itok=-DcAoYVW)
![<h4>1. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas</h4><br>[114,500 acres] One Texas biologist categorized this lake as “a fish factory,” and it lived up to that billing over the past 12 months by pumping out 20-pound stringers left and right. The 2017 Toyota Bassmaste](https://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/styles/bass_small/public/galleries/2018/06/bbl_c_01_samrayburn_2018_ja.jpg?itok=7TMcGJRq)
![<h4>1. Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee </h4><br>[36,240 acres] How about these for first-place winning weights with the Chattanooga Bass Association one-day events on The Chick in 2018: February 24, 34.77; March 17, 42.91; April 14, 26.94; and May 12, 42.48.](https://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/styles/bass_small/public/galleries/2018/06/bbl_se_01_chickamauga_2018_ja.jpg?itok=8EC3us-K)
![<h4>8. 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 c](https://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/styles/bass_small/public/galleries/2018/06/08_-_bbl_n_02_thousandislandsstlawrence_2018_ja.jpg?itok=t_XwSBdk)
![<h4>1. Shearon Harris, North Carolina </h4>[4,100 acres] When one 40-plus-pound limit comes from a lake, heads turn. When two limits this size are produced two weekends in a row, it’s time to gas up the Tundra and head that way. This is precisely what ha](https://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/styles/bass_small/public/galleries/2017/06/bbl_0top12_04_1_shearonharris_lily_pads_on_lake.jpg?itok=3a0q6RDa)
![<h4>2. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas</h4>[114,500 acres] This lake is no longer playing second fiddle to its larger cousin to the east (Toledo Bend). In fact, the fishery has been on fire this year. The Bass Champs circuit stopped at Rayburn twice this sp](https://www.bassmaster.com/sites/default/files/styles/bass_small/public/galleries/2017/06/013-bbl_0top12_02_2_samrayburn_samrayburn_ronnie_moore-2.jpg?itok=JzKhGe16)
