Where’s your favorite place to cast a line for bass? Is it a lake near your childhood home where you fished every summer? Or maybe it’s a lake, hundreds of miles away, that you fished during a once-in-a-lifetime vacation a few years back. Chances are, if it’s your top fishing spot, you’ve caught quality fish there and shared more than one funny story and happy memory with a friend or family member. Bassmaster magazine recently named the top 100 bass lakes in the U.S., with Michigan’s Lake. St. Clair earning the top spot.
“Feast your eyes on the most productive bass fisheries our nation has to offer this year. Hopefully, you will be inspired to fish one in the near future and put our rankings to the test.”
Bassmaster magazine asked every state’s Department of Natural Resources (sometimes it was the wildlife agency) to report catch rates, population studies, and stocking schedules for all the fisheries they managed. B.A.S.S. Nation presidents and conservation directors ranked each of these bodies of water based on the tournaments they held. A panel of Elite Series pros, outdoor writers, and industry professionals finalized the lakes list and rankings, and then 3,500 B.A.S.S members weighed in on the top 100.
Although Bassmaster‘s selection process may be slightly different than your own, this list should offer at least a few options for finding new — and excellent — fishing spots.
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Photo by: Michigan Department of Natural Resources
