Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
Pound for pound one of the hardest-fighting freshwater fish in North America, smallmouth bass thrive in clear rocky lakes and rivers from the Great Lakes to the Ozarks and across the Northeast. Legendary for their acrobatic leaps and dogged resistance on light tackle, they are a top-tier gamefish wherever they swim.
Seasonal Activity
Jan
Slow
Feb
Slow
Mar
Slow
Apr
Slow
May
Good
Jun
Prime
Jul
Prime
Aug
Prime
Sep
Prime
Oct
Prime
Nov
Good
Dec
Slow
Best Techniques
- tube jigs on rocks
- drop-shotting
- crankbaits
- topwater
- fly fishing rivers
Top Baits
- tube jigs
- crayfish imitations
- live crayfish
- jerkbaits
- drop-shot minnows
State Records
Official rod & reel records by state. Log your catch to see how you compare.
| State | Weight | Length | Angler | Year | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN | 11.94 lb | — | D.L. Hayes | 1955 | Dale Hollow Reservoir |
| NC | 10.13 lb | — | — | 1951 | Hiwassee Reservoir |
| MI | 9.98 lb | 23.1 in | — | 2016 | Indian River |
| CA | 9.81 lb | — | Harold Hardin | 2007 | Pardee Reservoir |
| OH | 9.5 lb | — | Randy Van Dam | 1993 | Lake Erie |
| WI | 9.06 lb | — | Leon Stefoneck | 1950 | Indian Lake |
| NY | 9 lb | — | Dante Piraino | 2024 | St. Lawrence River |
| WA | 8.75 lb | — | Ray Wonacott | 1966 | Columbia River |
| PA | 8.5 lb | — | Robert T. Steelman | 1997 | Scotts Run Lake |
| VA | 8.06 lb | — | Donald S. Eaton Jr. | 2003 | New River |
| MN | 8 lb | — | — | — | West Battle Lake |
| TX | 7.93 lb | — | Timothy Teague | 1998 | Lake Meredith |
| IN | 7.25 lb | — | Dana Yoder | — | Twin Lake |
| IL | 7.2 lb | — | Joseph Capilupo | 2019 | Lake Michigan |
| GA | 7.13 lb | — | Jack Hall | 1973 | Lake Chatuge |
| MO | 7.13 lb | — | Kevin S. Clingan | 1994 | Stockton Lake |
Caught a Smallmouth Bass?
Log your catch and see how it stacks up against state records.
Log a CatchReport an issue
See something wrong, missing, or out of date? Let us know — we read every report.