Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
The undisputed king of freshwater sport fishing in the United States, largemouth bass thrive in weedy lakes, ponds, and rivers from coast to coast and fuel a multi-billion-dollar tournament industry. Their explosive topwater strikes and powerful fights make them the most popular gamefish in America.
Seasonal Activity
Jan
Slow
Feb
Slow
Mar
Slow
Apr
Slow
May
Good
Jun
Prime
Jul
Prime
Aug
Prime
Sep
Prime
Oct
Good
Nov
Slow
Dec
Slow
Best Techniques
- flipping plastics
- topwater frogs
- spinnerbaits
- jigs in cover
Top Baits
- soft plastic worms
- creature baits
- live shiners
- jigs
- topwater frogs
State Records
Official rod & reel records by state. Log your catch to see how you compare.
| State | Weight | Length | Angler | Year | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 22.25 lb | — | George Perry | 1932 | Montgomery Lake |
| CA | 21.75 lb | — | Michael Aruja | 1991 | Castaic Lake |
| TX | 18.18 lb | — | Barry StClair | 1992 | Lake Fork |
| FL | 17.27 lb | — | Billy O'Berry | 1986 | Small lake, Polk County |
| VA | 16.25 lb | — | — | — | — |
| NC | 15.88 lb | — | William H. Wofford | 1991 | Pond, Union Co. |
| TN | 15.19 lb | — | Gabe Keen | 2015 | Chickamauga Reservoir |
| IN | 14.75 lb | — | Jenifer Schultz | 1991 | Lake, Harrison Co. |
| MO | 13.88 lb | — | Marvin Russell Bushong | 1961 | Bull Shoals Lake |
| OH | 13.13 lb | — | Roy Landsberger | 1976 | Private pond |
| IL | 13.06 lb | — | Edward J. Walbel | 1976 | Stone Quarry Lake |
| WA | 12.53 lb | — | Bill Evans | 2016 | Lake Bosworth |
| NY | 12.38 lb | — | James Britenbaugh | 2024 | Cayuga Lake |
| MI | 11.94 lb | 27 in | — | 1934 | Big Pine Island Lake |
| WI | 11.19 lb | — | — | 1940 | Lake Ripley |
| PA | 11.19 lb | — | Donald Shade | 1983 | Birch Run Reservoir |
| MN | 8.94 lb | — | Mark Raveling | 2005 | Lake Auburn |
Caught a Largemouth Bass?
Log your catch and see how it stacks up against state records.
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