Best Fishing Towns/Cities? 2024
BigSkyBasser reply :
There are many articles on the internet written specifically about locations centered around fishing and how the appeal to the heart of a sportsman.
I'm interested in hearing what your favorites cities and towns in the U.S. are for fishing (can be regardings more than just bass)
and why you like them so much.
To start, I'd say mine would be Kalispell, MT. I live two and half hours south of here and between the two Cities we have about 60 different fishable rivers and lakes for trophy smallmouth exceeding 6 pounds on the Flathead river, and largemouth push 8 pounds caught every year in the flathead chain. These are fishable through the ice but do best in spring and fall, and overview the scenic mission mountains.
lecisnith reply :
While admittedly biased, you would have to look really hard to find an area better than the one around Traverse City. You have Grand Traverse Bays for trophy smallmouth, Lake Michigan itself for anything from smallness to Lake trout to salmon, the Chain O' Lakes that begins only 15 miles from Traverse City and has produced a new state or world record musky every year it seems for the last five or six years. That doesn't count the 15 or so other lakes in the immediate area that produce trophies. Then you have the Manistee, Platte, and Betsy rivers that flow through the area for trout, smallies, salmon, and steelhead. It's a destination. I highly recommend it.
Catt reply :
Hemphill Texas in the heart of Toledo Bend & an hour drive from Lake Sam Rayburn!
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 12/24/2015 at 11:11 AM, Catt said:Hemphill Texas in the heart of Toledo Bend & an hour drive from Lake Sam Rayburn!
This was on my list before hearing your manifest to this world class bassery! I'm planning on taking a fishing trip to Texas in a couple years. Would you recommend anything else on the border like Caddo lake?
Zippyduck Krimm reply :
I love Erie pa. with smallmouth, walleye, steelhead, brown trout, lake trout, channel catfish, largemouth, perch, crappie, pike, musky and burbot.
But I have to give it to Kissimee, Fla. an hour from the gulf, an hour from the atlantic and the indian river, not to mention the 3 outstanding big bass lakes East and West Toho, and Kissimee, minutes away.
baxtervol reply :
These are good examples. Where I live is not bad. Cookeville, Tn is an hour and half from Chickamauga, four hours from Guntersville, and three hours from Kentucky Lake. Three famous Tn river impoundments are within a reasonable drive. Old Hickory and Percy Priest are an hour away and three other Cumberland River lakes are very close. Dale Hollow has produced around 12 of the biggest 25 smallmouth on record while Center Hill and Cordell are consistently above average lakes that can produce eight pound and larger fish. Really, If you live anywhere in the mid south, Bass fishing opportunities and variety abound.
blckshirt98 reply :
Angel's Camp, CA is a nice small town with a well-stocked locally owned tackle shop (Glory Hole Sports). It's right next to New Melones, and there's about a half dozen other highly-regarded Sierra Nevada/Mother Lode lakes all within about an hour's drive.
papajoe222 reply :
For me, it's a toss up between Minneapolis-St.Paul and Detroit. Both have excellent fishing within an hour's drive, not to mention multi-species.
Neil McCauley reply :
Strange question because I'd never really consider fishing "good" if it was very close to a major town or city. As far from high population densities as possible, please.
Mike L reply :
Clewiston Fla..On the South end of "The Bass Capitol of the World"
Okeechobee Fla...On the North end of "The Bass Capitol of the World"
Boca Grande Fla..."Tarpon Capitol of the world"
Islamorada Fl..."Sport Fishing Capitol of the World"
Mike
iabass8 reply :
Anywhere in central Minnesota. Drop me off /w my boat and I'll inevitably find unpressured, amazing fishing.
La Crosse WI on the Mississippi. Lock up or down a pool. Just flat out awesome fishing.
BassinLou reply :
South FL no doubt!! Year round fishing. Best catch rates in the country for LMB during certain seasons, want to mix up you can target Butterfly Peacock bass in the same water you went after the LMB. Really want to be diversified you have back country fishing for : Snook, Tarpon, Permit, and Reds. And I haven't even gotten into the offshore stuff. People are not lying when they say South Florida is one of the best fishing capitals in the world.
Raul reply :
McAllen, Texas. A stone cast away from lake Amistad, Falcón, Choke Canyon, Sugar lake in México and very close to South Padre Island, just pure awesomeness. I can hardly wait the day I'll be able to go back there and take residence again.
Hurricane reply :
Buffalo Ny.... 5 miles from me. Lake Erie.
Oregon Native reply :
We moved to Knoxville from Oregon five years ago. Have no complaints about the smallie fishing in the Columbia...was amazing and the salmon and steelhead used to be to on all the coastal rivers but time has changed for those along with peoples attitude. Now we are loving the south and all the bass lakes a short distance from Knoxville and the year around fishing.
Tight Lines
clh121787 reply :
On 12/24/2015 at 11:14 AM, BigSkyBasser said:On 12/24/2015 at 11:11 AM, Catt said:Hemphill Texas in the heart of Toledo Bend & an hour drive from Lake Sam Rayburn!
I was gonna say Mayflower,tx for that same reason. But. The best imo is Winnsboro, Tx has Fork right there and close to a dozen awesome sleeper lakes that get over looked. San Diego , Ca crossed my mind but nah. You'll get fee'd up the a $$ before you get to wet a line.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Around here it would be pretty hard to beat somewhere in the Ozarks. Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Beaver, Grand, Stockton, Pomme De Terre, all within an hour or so if you place yourself right. Then there's the trout parks, Taneycomo (which also has some monster bass). Pomme and Fellows both have muskie. Beaver and Bull both give you shots at monster stripers and big walleye (Stockton is a good walleye lake as well). Table Rock, Bull, and Beaver all give you a shot at 4 different species of bass (LM, SM, spots, and meanmouth). The Ozark streams are great places to wade and catch gobs of smallies along with some spots and LM and various other species.
I'd love to live down in that area.
Jaderose reply :
Grand Rapids Minnesota. Why? Pull it up on Google maps and draw a hundred mile ring around it. You'll see why.
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 12/27/2015 at 1:08 AM, Jaderose said:Grand Rapids Minnesota. Why? ent t up on Google maps and draw a hundred mile ring around it. You'll see why.
I have friends and family from that area. You could fish a different lake every day of the year and not leave that hundred mile radius.
HoosierHawgs reply :
I feel like we should make a poll somehow. It would be complicated, but if there was a way to take all factors in, like average size bass, amount of fishing opportunities, tourist traffic (boo!!), number of sport fish species, biggest bass, economic prosperity, and overall contentment/happiness to truly size up the best fishing city in the states, or the NA Continent
Jaderose reply :
On 12/27/2015 at 3:46 AM, BigSkyBasser said:I have friends and family from that area. You could fish a different lake every day of the year and not leave that hundred mile radius.
Grand Rapids Minnesota. Why? Pull it up on Google maps and draw a hundred mile ring around it. You'll see why.
I think you could go more than one year. I'm guessing 2 or 3...at least. Beautiful country, too. LOVE it up there.
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 12/27/2015 at 4:17 AM, HoosierHawgs said:I feel like we should make a poll somehow. It would be complicated, but if there was a way to take all factors in, like average size bass, amount of fishing opportunities, tourist traffic (boo!!), number of sport fish species, biggest bass, economic prosperity, and overall contentment/happiness to truly size up the best fishing city in the states, or the NA Continent
I thought about doing that, but it sounded like too much work so I made this thread instead.
Maybe if this gets big enough we'll start keeping track of mutual answers and opinions for a winner.
Smokinal reply :
The fishing is horrible in Maine; no need to visit this place.
PitchinJigz reply :
On 12/25/2015 at 1:09 AM, papajoe222 said:For me, it's a toss up between Minneapolis-St.Paul and Detroit. Both have excellent fishing within an hour's drive, not to mention multi-species.
I'm from Minnesota and love the state in general, but my pick would not be the metro area. Not even close. There's some awesome lakes down there (Minnetonka, Chisago) but Northern MN is the way to go. Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, Upper and Lower Red Lake, Rainy River, Lake Vermillion, even Mille Lacs is pretty far north. My vote is Bemidji, MN. Huge outdoors community and almost everyone you meet is a fisherman.
Jaderose reply :
On 12/27/2015 at 7:21 AM, PitchinJigz said:I'm from Minnesota and love the state in general, but my pick would not be the metro area. Not even close. There's some awesome lakes down there (Minnetonka, Chisago) but Northern MN is the way to go. Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, Upper and Lower Red Lake, Rainy River, Lake Vermillion, even Mille Lacs is pretty far north. My vote is Bemidji, MN. Huge outdoors community and almost everyone you meet is a fisherman.
and all are within 100 miles of Grand Rapids...lol
IowaHusker28 reply :
LaCrosse is sweet! Plus upper Mississippi river fishing is an incredible place for numbers and multiple species, sometimes you never know what bit your hook. I would also say Kimberling city on Tablerock, within a drive of Lake of the Ozarks, Bull Shoals, and Beaver. Benton, Ky and Paris, TN are pretty sweet as well. Heck any city that has a major lake or lakes by it, is an awesome town to me.
PitchinJigz reply :
On 12/27/2015 at 7:40 AM, Jaderose said:and all are within 100 miles of Grand Rapids...lol
Grand Rapids is a great place as well. Northern Minnesota doesn't get the recognition around the country for the great bass fishing community it is. I think that's because none of the big tours come through MN. There's great fishing everywhere in Minnesota for almost any freshwater species you could think of.
Caliyak reply :
Any city in so-cal for castaic, Disneyland and weather.
Nor-Cal places like Stockton area for the Delta or Sonoma area for Clear and Napa, to get wasted. LOL
blckshirt98 reply :
Yikes, Stockton is NOT a good city to spend a vacation in unless you want to get robbed. That's like saying East St. Louis is a nice fishing city because you have access to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers!
clh121787 reply :
On 12/27/2015 at 3:05 PM, blckshirt98 said:On 12/27/2015 at 1:46 PM, Caliyak said:Any city in so-cal for castaic, Disneyland and weather.
Nor-Cal places like Stockton area for the Delta or Sonoma area for Clear and Napa, to get wasted. LOL
Maybe sac for nor cal, got delta clear lake, new melones, lake X, not super close to any thing but close enough for die hard like us. I lived in ukiah (20 mins from clear lake) for 4 years, and 10 miles from Fork for the majority of my life. I'm very fortunate.
mitchbayboy reply :
Mitchell's bay Ontario Canada on lake St.Clair ......smallmouth numbers are amazing ,perch through the ice musky over 50 inches and numbers of these fish ,I am sure a lot of you guys have visited Lake St. Clair I live across from marina and see the American boats here all season long and have made some good friends and fishing buddies from the states ,I have fished buffalo in early season ,,.Erie pa for monster smallies ,gunnersville for big large mouth and anywhere on lake Erie for smallies and walleye , but if you want a great trip with huge number Clair is your lake .
Caliyak reply :
On 12/27/2015 at 3:05 PM, blckshirt98 said:Yikes, Stockton is NOT a good city to spend a vacation in unless you want to get robbed. That's like saying East St. Louis is a nice fishing city because you have access to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers!
Stockton is rough, so any towns around sac area. So, only the tough guys go to Stockton. LOL
Bass newb reply :
Birmingham Al close to Coosa River and Guntersville and many other lakes within an hour and a half.
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 12/28/2015 at 12:51 PM, Caliyak said:Stockton is rough, so any towns around sac area. So, only the tough guys go to Stockton. LOL
You'll catch more bullets than bass out of Stockton lol
Turkey sandwich reply :
It would seem like South Florida/New Orleans/any non-terrifying or retirement community dominated stretch of the gulf coast would be pretty incredible with all of the fresh and saltwater options. Washington's coast seems really badass in terms of fresh and saltwater fishing. Areas like Sacramento seem to have a huge variety of options ranging from tossing flies on small streams all the way to killer large and smallmouth fisheries within a few hours.
Brnnoser6983 reply :
As much as I gripe about our winters, as many have said Minnesota offers over 10k lakes and ponds. You can catch trophy musky minutes from down town Minneapolis. But again agreeing with others here (not to mention bass master magazine) northern lakes often fine themself in the top 100 lakes in the U.S. You don't have to hit big names like leach, rainy, or Mille Lacs to find great fishing. Many small lakes will land you trophy bass, northern, and walleye. Plus side to these northern lakes, NO planes flying overhead, and often the only traffic you hear is other boats on the lake..
Fishing Rhino reply :
I'll take this area. The pond in the top image is probably my favorite pond. Largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, pickerel, bluegills, yellow perch, white perch, etc. Very little pressure. There are jet skis on the beach at some of the homes, but I have yet to see one scooting around the pond.
There is not a piece of barren bottom in this shallow (max depth 12 feet) pond. It is either rocky or vegetation covered bottom, and both where they overlap.
The picture below shows our home, and its proximity to several ponds. The pond at about seven o'clock in relation to our home is surrounded by private property. I know several people who own property on the pond and have access to it at any time. Used to be a smallmouth pond until largemouth bass were introduced and eventually eliminated the smallmouth. This pond is a bowl, max depth eight feet. Rocky shoreline with a few lily pad beds but not much in the way of vegetation. No bass in this pond away from the shore, but there are huge schools of white perch, dense enough to turn the screen on a fish finder black. Little to no fishing pressure on this pond. Also holds some huge pickerel. The larger pond directly to the left is the pond in the above image. I fish both of these ponds from my canoe.
Want more water to fish, maybe for stripers, bluefish, codfish, tautog. It's all within six miles of our doorstep.
In addition to finfish, the Westport River has plenty of oysters, little necks, quahogs (for stuffing and chowder), and soft shell (steamer) clams for commercial and recreational shell fishing.
If you like lobsters and crabs (blue shell and Jonah), they can also be found in our local waters.
In the picture below you can see the ponds above from the center top to about a third of the way down the image. On the right side of the image is Buzzards Bay which leads to the Cape Cod Canal. The canal is bordered on the south by the Elizabeth Islands with Cuttyhunk being at the southwest tip of the island chain. The body of water on the opposite side of the islands is Vineyard Sound with Martha's Vineyard's southwest end visible just above Google.
The body of water in the third left side of the picture is The Sakonnet River and to the left of that is Narragansett Bay.
hatrix reply :
I am sure every piece of the country has awesome places to fish. But really I don't think florida can be beat. I just moved down here recently and fishing is everywhere.
mwwilliams reply :
On 12/25/2015 at 8:10 PM, Oregon Native said:We moved to Knoxville from Oregon five years ago. Have no complaints about the smallie fishing in the Columbia...was amazing and the salmon and steelhead used to be to on all the coastal rivers but time has changed for those along with peoples attitude. Now we are loving the south and all the bass lakes a short distance from Knoxville and the year around fishing.
Tight Lines
I live in West Knoxville and if you ever want a fishing partner give me a shout. I'm just really getting back into fishing and am at the moment a bank fisherman but looking for a good fishing kayak and building up my tackle and gear. Where Turkey Creek comes into Lake Loudoun will be very lively area come spring and lots of wood on that shore when not exposed with draw down to fish. Give me a shout!
N Florida Mike reply :
I live on a small lake in jax. Fl.It has great bass fishing.I've fished for bass in most of the famous lakes within an hour and a half away,such as Orange,lochloosa,Sante fe, Rodman.And we have the St Johns river and all of its tributaries.Not to mention all the great salt water opportunities, with inshore fishing ,offshore,along with pier and surf fishing.I am blessed to have been able to do all of these and I can't imagine a place where fishing Could be any better.
Oregon Native reply :
On 1/2/2016 at 10:13 AM, mwwilliams said:I live in West Knoxville and if you ever want a fishing partner give me a shout. I'm just really getting back into fishing and am at the moment a bank fisherman but looking for a good fishing kayak and building up my tackle and gear. Where Turkey Creek comes into Lake Loudoun will be very lively area come spring and lots of wood on that shore when not exposed with draw down to fish. Give me a shout!
Currently fish a lot of club tourneys and other little tourneys with a partner. If you want to try that and learn lots of water check out Smokey Mt. bass club at Ganders first tues of the month at 7:00. Great club
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 1/2/2016 at 11:08 AM, mike barnett said:I live on a small lake in jax. Fl.It has great bass fishing.I've fished for bass in most of the famous lakes within an hour and a half away,such as Orange,lochloosa,Sante fe, Rodman.And we have the St Johns river and all of its tributaries.Not to mention all the great salt water opportunities, with inshore fishing ,offshore,along with pier and surf fishing.I am blessed to have been able to do all of these and I can't imagine a place where fishing Could be any better.
Is this a private lake, or is there public access? Can it be accessed from the bank?
N Florida Mike reply :
On 1/3/2016 at 12:12 AM, HoosierHawgs said:Is this a private lake, or is there public access? Can it be accessed from the bank?
It's private,and gets little pressure.Most days I'm alone on it.
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 1/3/2016 at 12:15 AM, mike barnett said:It's private,and gets little pressure.Most days I'm alone on it.
Interesting. I've got some family in Jax.
N Florida Mike reply :
If you're in town,let me know and we'll get a trip together.I enjoy having company .
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 1/3/2016 at 12:19 AM, mike barnett said:If you're in town,let me know and we'll get a trip together.I enjoy having company .
Will do! Thanks for the offer! Not sure when I will be back next, but hopefully the fish will.be biting when I do!
mwwilliams reply :
On 1/2/2016 at 5:31 PM, Oregon Native said:Currently fish a lot of club tourneys and other little tourneys with a partner. If you want to try that and learn lots of water check out Smokey Mt. bass club at Ganders first tues of the month at 7:00. Great club
So, it will be on 1/5 this next week? If so, I will be there.
Jerry g reply :
On 12/25/2015 at 1:20 AM, Neil McCauley said:Strange question because I'd never really consider fishing "good" if it was very close to a major town or city. As far from high population densities as possible, please.
Minneapolis has eleven lakes within its borders. You can catch panfish, walleye, northern, musky, and of course bass. I live in the western suburbs. We have two major rivers and hundreds of lakes and streams. And the fishing is very good. We are truly blessed here.
Jerry g reply :
i love Minnesota, but when it comes to a fisherman's dream, try Anna Maria Island, off coadt of Bradenton, Florida.
Shore fishing on Western shore for just about anything in the season, out my back door into Anna Maria Sound for redfish, black drum, flounder, snook, shark, sail fin cats, jacks, pompano, and mackerel. All assessable in my kayak or a walk to the beach.
jump on a charter, and the sky is the limit.
try it some time, you will not be disappointed
imagine29028 reply :
I'll just have to throw my 2 cents in. I live in Annapolis, MD five minutes from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The bay is such an amazing body of water...to the north you have the Susquehanna River which boasts world class Smallmouth action, and at the mouth of the river and the whole Upper Bay you have a great largemouth population. Many people forget the 93' Bassmasters Classic was held here. It took 70lbs from Martens here in August to win the Elite event.
The Mid bay is loaded with a variety of saltwater fishes, but the Rockfish reigns supreme. Notice I didnt say Stripers...same fish, but these are the migratory fish that come from the Atlantic Ocean, not quite the same as you find in your landlocked lakes and such.
To the South is the Potomac River, a constant visit for both the FLW and BASS tours. The upper part of the river is fast moving water and loaded with Smallies.
When you get to the mouth of the Bay around Virginia Beach you get a lot of your heavy Saltwater Fish; 40 & 50lb Drum, huge Rockfish, Sheepshead, Tautog, Trout, and on and on.
Oregon Native reply :
On 1/3/2016 at 12:43 AM, mwwilliams said:So, it will be on 1/5 this next week? If so, I will be there.
It will....welcome
related General Bass Fishing Forum topic
previous topic
most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.