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Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River)
New York
Previous Rankings – 2014: #11 | 2013: #13 | 2012: #5350-mile stretch
A more picturesque fishing destination you will not find. It seems for each of the islands poking out of this section of the St. Lawrence River, a dozen 5-pound smallies exist. It took 50-10 to win a September 2014 BFL event here, and you had to average more than 18 pounds over the two days to be in the Top 10. And this is more than a trophy fishery, as you likely will be tired of setting the hook and fighting better-than-average brown bass at the end of a fishing day.
Lake Champlain
New York/Vermont
Previous Rankings – 2014: #27 | 2013: #16 | 2012: #5490 square miles
The smallmouth in this giant body of water are Âalmost as big as Champ, the lake monster that supposedly lives here. Itâs now taking 20 pounds of brown bass to win derbies here. That said, some anglers are starting to mix in some largemouth, which are thriving in the shallows of this beast.
Lake Erie
New York
Previous Rankings – 2014: #3 | 2013: #5 | 2012: #430-mile radius from Buffalo
It seemed ice would never melt from this section of the Great Lake this year. But, once it did, the smallmouth fishing heated up in a hurry. No tournament results are available yet, but a writerâs event here in May yielded scads of 4-pound-class fish, with a handful topping 5 pounds, and two exceeding 6. (Not bad for outdoor writers.)
Oneida Lake
New York
Previous Rankings – 2014: #41 | 2013: #38 | 2012: #14 79.8 square miles
Although this historically awesome lake has not yet returned to its best form, itâs headed that way. Ice-out was a few days later this year than it was last, so bass fishing hadnât really revved up as of this writing. That said, looking at summer through fall tournaments here last year, weights are climbing back to glory levels for this lake. A mid-July derby took 18.40 to win, and the Top 37 teams had more than 14 pounds. And remember, the smallmouth and largemouth get equal billing here; you can win with either species.
Cayuga Lake
New York
Previous Rankings – 2014: N/A | 2013: #98 | 2012: N/A 38 miles long, 3 1/2 miles wide
This is the longest of New Yorkâs famed Finger Lakes. Itâs also the best for targeting trophy largemouth. Ask Greg Hackney how good it can be; he won the 2014 Elite Series event here with a four-day total of 85 pounds.
Chautauqua Lake
New York
Previous Rankings – 2014: #86 | 2013: N/A | 2012: N/A 13,156 acres
According to the New York fisheries folks, this may be one of the healthiest lakes in the state. Both largemouth and smallmouth thrive here, and anglers can focus on shallow grass or deep structure to catch them. Donât expect the fish of a lifetime from this fishery; instead, expect a whole bunch of fish in the 2- to 3-pound range.