100 Best Bass Lakes In America, The 2015 Edition 2024
Jrob78 reply :
http://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/bassmasters-best-bass-lakes-2015
It looks like a lot of really small lakes are included this year.
Catch and Grease reply :
Yeesh some of the bags they talked about are insane.... I wanna go to a lake that you can catch a 25lb bag and still not be in the top 25 
I'm surprised lake Seminole got as high as it did, might be planning a trip there soon.
Good read!
Jd_Phillips_Fishin reply :
High Rock does NOT deserve to be on this list. Catches have been way down and fishing pressure has been terrible.
vmabuck reply :
Nice! Five in my state and I live 12 miles from #64 and 5 miles from #13 on the list...
Team9nine reply :
No surprise, but I see Indiana didn't have a single lake make the list this year 
This is the type bass fishing we have to deal with all the time. Guess it's better than Alaska though 
-T9
Caliyak reply :
2 lakes from Texas, Wis and Cali in the top 10.
GoTakeANap reply :
On 6/18/2015 at 10:24 AM, Team9nine said:No surprise, but I see Indiana didn't have a single lake make the list this year
This is the type bass fishing we have to deal with all the time. Guess it's better than Alaska though
-T9
SC didnt have any on the list 2-3 years ago if im not mistaken and now there is 5 on there. Crazy.
greentrout reply :
Lake Somerville in Texas is a sleeper.
The Old School Basser...
basshole8190 reply :
On 6/18/2015 at 7:12 AM, Catch and Grease said:Yeesh some of the bags they talked about are insane.... I wanna go to a lake that you can catch a 25lb bag and still not be in the top 25
I'm surprised lake Seminole got as high as it did, might be planning a trip there soon.
Good read!
Seminole is on fire this year! Went in April and had 18 lbs in the boat before lunch. Also hooked a 6' gator.
WRB reply :
The lake that matters is #1 Toledo Bend, Catt's lake and well deserved.
California has 5 1/2 lakes counting Havasu on the Arizona-Caliornia boarder.
Winning this only puts added fishing pressure on the lakes, Toledo Bend is a big lake that can handle the increased traffic!
Tom
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 6/18/2015 at 10:24 AM, Team9nine said:No surprise, but I see Indiana didn't have a single lake make the list this year
-T9
No Kansas lakes again, like there shouldn't be. I think it was the first year they had 3 on there, and none of them were our 2 best reservoirs, and I'm fine with that.
BUT, no Table Rock??
iceintheveins reply :
I would put a few lakes that should be selected as Honorable Mentions:
1. Lake Powell, Utah ( smallies average 1/2 pound to two pounds with the odd 3 pounder, so primarily focus on largemouth, which average 2 to 5 pounds and occasionally bigger) Takes at least a 20 pound sack per day to win most tournaments), and I've seen three day totals of 45 pounds not quite make the top 5. If it's tough, catch some smallies for a quick limit (10 pounds if you're lucky), and then focus on nothing but largemouth the rest of the tournie.) The drought has made finding largemouth someone tricker due to lack of brush cover but they often sit in the shallows near where the brush once was, and will use cover like tumbleweeds and log jams from flash floods. Smallies sit on the rip rap rocks. The best rip rap rocks are those in the shade, the very best ones stay MOSTLY in the shade).
2. Lake Washington, Washington.
3. Sand Hollow Reservoir, Utah
4. Quail Creek Reservoir, Utah
5. Wilson Lake - AL/TN
6. Elephant Butte, NM (Though Drought affected)
7. New Melones, CA (Through Drought affected)
8. Lake Oahe, SD (smallies)
9. Truman Lake, MO
10. Weiss Lake, AL
11. Stick Marsh, FL (though not what it was a few years ago)
12. Flaming Gorge - UT/WY, good numbers of smallies to five pounds. Gotta average 18 to 20 pounds top constantly have change there
13. Aurora Reservoir - Colorado - Producing lots of 3 to 4 pound smallies and some even bigger, while the largemouth are taking off in the flooded shallows again and some 7 - 8pounders have been showing. It's not a head over heals action type lake, but when you get bit,it's a quaility fish. Gas motor only lake which is a slight pain, but the real pain is a very overbearing parks staff that kicks you off right at dusk and will ticket you for anything they can. But it is a good fishery. Nearby Quincy Lake is much smaller, but 5 - 7 pound largemouth aren't unheard of and 3 - 4 pounders common.
14, Navajo Reservoir - numbers aren't insane, but 3 - 5 pound smallies are common and a 20 - 25 pound limit on smallies a long isn't out of the question for a skiller basser.
Most of these lakes it takes at least a 22 pound bag to have a chance at the top three or winning.
If we get some good rain and snow this year in California and for the next several years, lakes like Folsum, Whiskeytown, Diamondvalley, Pyramid and others will start to produce better once again.
fishballer06 reply :
Pymatuning in the 60's? That's a shocker. I would hardly call it an amazing bass fishery, compared to some of the lakes (and limits) you hear of down south, but I guess its good to have a local lake on there. My club had a two day tournament there 3 weeks ago and on the first day, there was a 21 lb. bag (six fish).
BigmouthForever23 reply :
Man what I would give to have a chance to fish one of these lakes...oh my. I hope one day when I retire I'll have the chance to settle down in an area with a well-known bass lake like one of these. My early thoughts are somewhere in Texas because of the vast number of lakes and I love horses too so it's a win/win.
roadwarrior reply :
Pickwick #36?
WRB reply :
To qualify today for a Bassmaster top 100 lake the lake needs to be capable of withstanding increased fishing pressure, host a B.A.S.S. tournament and have recreational facilities. Smaller size lakes can't qualify unless a voting board member supports the choice, always a few exceptions.
So if your lake isn't listed and you know it's a better bass lake then others you see listed, be glad you don't have the added boat traffic. Most good bass fishing states could easily add 5 more lakes per state, then you would need a top 200 list! Just think how many folks would be upset if the list a top 10 or 25, the current listing would change due to the pressure.
This years number 1, Toledo Bend is the number 1 bass lake in the country, few can agrue that fact.
Tom
fishballer06 reply :
On 6/19/2015 at 1:02 AM, WRB said:To qualify today for a Bassmaster top 100 lake the lake needs to be capable of withstanding increased fishing pressure, host a B.A.S.S. tournament and have recreational facilities. Smaller size lakes can't qualify unless a voting board member supports the choice, always a few exceptions.
So if your lake isn't listed and you know it's a better bass lake then others you see listed, be glad you don't have the added boat traffic. Most good bass fishing states could easily add 5 more lakes per state, then you would need a top 200 list! Just think how many folks would be upset if the list a top 10 or 25, the current listing would change due to the pressure.
This years number 1, Toledo Bend is the number 1 bass lake in the country, few can agrue that fact.
Tom
I understand what you are saying, but I can tell you that Pymatuning #63 is limited to 20hp motors only.
WRB reply :
There are several exceptions, lake a Mead hoist the U.S. open every year, deserves to be on this list, Apache lake AZ, is small and fishes smaller, no facilities, lake Roosvelt up the road hoist tournaments year around and should be listed, and the beat goes on!
Tom
Montanaro reply :
First problem is most of those aren't even lakes
EmersonFish reply :
Of interest to me is 'Lake of the Ozarks' making a big move up the list, and 'Table Rock' falling completely off for the first time that I'm aware of. I've always felt 'Table Rock' was a bit overrated as a fishery, in recent years in particular; but I'd have to do a lot of fishing at a lot of lakes to know it's not a "Top 100" lake anymore.
WRB reply :
Top 93 lakes and 7 rivers, CA delta is a river system.
Tom
Catt reply :
On 6/19/2015 at 12:58 AM, roadwarrior said:Pickwick #36?
I know huh!
Atchafalaya Basin?
I know it help some tournaments but it aint on nobodies bucket list here in Louisiana!
deep reply :
Didn't go through the list, but did any SoCal reservoir make the cut?
WRB reply :
No! Pardee a small lake in NorCal makes it on for the world record Spotted bass. SoCal lakes are very low pool due to the drought and we don't need any more traffic!On 6/19/2015 at 3:06 AM, deep said:Didn't go through the list, but did any SoCal reservoir make the cut?
Tom
deep reply :
You know Tom, that's fortunate for you guys, but also sad. There's enough pressure as it is anyway.
Is San V open again?
buzzed bait reply :
glad none of the ones i fish are on the list!
SDbassin reply :
On 6/19/2015 at 3:16 AM, deep said:You know Tom, that's fortunate for you guys, but also sad. There's enough pressure as it is anyway.
Is San V open again?
no, San V is supposed to be open again between 2015 and 2017, my guess is towards the 2017 mark or even later. I can't wait, never had the chance to fish there but I hear all the stories from some old timers, I will definitely be there on its opening. Theres a few lakes close to me in the San Diego area that are almost completely dried up, most are at half pool, the lakes that are producing are extremely pressured, and some that rely on runoff like lake hodges (has a lot of runoff from the farms that are causing the water to deplete oxygen rapidly, adding phosphorus and chemicals to the water) are going downhill very fast. Hopefully the El Nino that's supposed to come in the fall and through the winter (please pray) will fill up a lot of our lakes and the fishing will get really good, fingers crossed!!!
WRB reply :
Not yet.......just needs water! The lake is at it's original normal pool and those bass need some exercise. It should rain this fall.On 6/19/2015 at 3:16 AM, deep said:You know Tom, that's fortunate for you guys, but also sad. There's enough pressure as it is anyway.
Is San V open again?
Tom
Dogmatic reply :
When all is said and done, as cool as it would be to have your home lake on the list, aren't you glad it isnt?
desmobob reply :
The slideshow freezes on the second frame each time I try to view it (2014 MacBook Pro running Safari 7.1.6).
Can anyone that has the list in print cut-and-paste to a post in this thread? That would be nice....
Tight lines,
Bob
WRB reply :
Take a look at Catt's Exclusive thread on this page, it has a good link.On 6/19/2015 at 5:19 AM, desmobob said:The slideshow freezes on the second frame each time I try to view it (2014 MacBook Pro running Safari 7.1.6).
Can anyone that has the list in print cut-and-paste to a post in this thread? That would be nice....
Tight lines,
Bob
brgbassmaster reply :
5 on there from michigan. Only smallmouth waters mentioned too. Wish they would mention the 20/25lb bags that come out of central mi largemouth waters. Miss my home state. And my wifes parents only live 20 min from number 45 and 1 hr from 17.
desmobob reply :
On 6/19/2015 at 6:01 AM, WRB said:Take a look at Catt's Exclusive thread on this page, it has a good link.
Perfect! Thanks very much.
Happy to see my two "home" lakes listed. 
Tight lines,
Bob
Tight lines,
Bob
smallies24/7 reply :
On 6/18/2015 at 4:05 PM, iceintheveins said:I would put a few lakes that should be selected as Honorable Mentions:
1. Lake Powell, Utah ( smallies average 1/2 pound to two pounds with the odd 3 pounder, so primarily focus on largemouth, which average 2 to 5 pounds and occasionally bigger) Takes at least a 20 pound sack per day to win most tournaments), and I've seen three day totals of 45 pounds not quite make the top 5. If it's tough, catch some smallies for a quick limit (10 pounds if you're lucky), and then focus on nothing but largemouth the rest of the tournie.) The drought has made finding largemouth someone tricker due to lack of brush cover but they often sit in the shallows near where the brush once was, and will use cover like tumbleweeds and log jams from flash floods. Smallies sit on the rip rap rocks. The best rip rap rocks are those in the shade, the very best ones stay MOSTLY in the shade).
2. Lake Washington, Washington.
3. Sand Hollow Reservoir, Utah
4. Quail Creek Reservoir, Utah
5. Wilson Lake - AL/TN
6. Elephant Butte, NM (Though Drought affected)
7. New Melones, CA (Through Drought affected)
8. Lake Oahe, SD (smallies)
9. Truman Lake, MO
10. Weiss Lake, AL
11. Stick Marsh, FL (though not what it was a few years ago)
12. Flaming Gorge - UT/WY, good numbers of smallies to five pounds. Gotta average 18 to 20 pounds top constantly have change there
13. Aurora Reservoir - Colorado - Producing lots of 3 to 4 pound smallies and some even bigger, while the largemouth are taking off in the flooded shallows again and some 7 - 8pounders have been showing. It's not a head over heals action type lake, but when you get bit,it's a quaility fish. Gas motor only lake which is a slight pain, but the real pain is a very overbearing parks staff that kicks you off right at dusk and will ticket you for anything they can. But it is a good fishery. Nearby Quincy Lake is much smaller, but 5 - 7 pound largemouth aren't unheard of and 3 - 4 pounders common.
14, Navajo Reservoir - numbers aren't insane, but 3 - 5 pound smallies are common and a 20 - 25 pound limit on smallies a long isn't out of the question for a skiller basser.
Most of these lakes it takes at least a 22 pound bag to have a chance at the top three or winning.
If we get some good rain and snow this year in California and for the next several years, lakes like Folsum, Whiskeytown, Diamondvalley, Pyramid and others will start to produce better once again.
Very surprised to see Lake Washington not on the list. It is my home lake, and I fish it multiple times a week. Especially when Sammamish was on the list the other year, Lake Wa is a much better lake in my opinion. It took a 28lb bag to win a tournament earlier this year.
*Hank reply :
That's cool!
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