Without a doubt, smallmouth bass are a favorite species to target for the team here at Fishidy HQ. Their combination of elusiveness and aggressiveness make them one of the most exciting fish to catch, and they’re readily available in many of the waterways that abound in the upper Midwest.

smallmouth bassThe editorial staff at Wired2Fish recently ranked their list of the top 15 smallmouth bass lakes of the year. See their original article that breaks down the reasoning for their rankings.

Here’s the full list with links to each of these waterways on Fishidy where you’ll find interactive maps and the latest fishing reports!

#15 – Dale Hollow Reservoir
#14 – Pickwick Lake
#13 – Mississippi River
#12 – Candlewood Lake
#11 – Wilson Lake
#10 – Rainy Lake
#9 – Burt and Mullet Lakes
#8 – Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River)
#7 – Lake Simcoe
#6 – Lake Michigan
#5 – Lake Champlain
#4 – Mille Lacs Lake
#3 – Lake St. Clair
#2 – Lake Erie
#1 – Sturgeon Bay

Did your waterway make the list? Are there any others you think should be included?

3 COMMENTS

  1. Nice List
    I’m glad you didn’t put Lake George in New York on the list.
    This way I and those of us who know the lake can go out and continue to have 100 – 200 fish (smallmouth)
    days and consider those days as normal.
    I guide on the lake so you can believe me or not – your choice.

    • Joe, we believe you for sure, Lake George is an outstanding fishery! We’re surprised it didn’t make the list as well, but truly there are so many great (maybe still unknown to most) smallmouth waterways across the country. A 100-200 fish day sounds light out! Thanks for stopping by the blog.

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