1. St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands) NY

2. Lake Guntersville AL

3. Sam Rayburn TX

4. Clear Lale CA

5. Lake Fork TX

6. Chickamuaga Lake TN

7. New Melones Lake CA

8. Lake St. Claire MI

9. Seante Copper (Marion & Moultre) SC

10. Lake Erie NY

Always interesting and with a few surprises.

Tom

I believe at least second year in a row a Florida lake hasn’t made it in the top 10... seems used to be lake O, stick marsh, even the Kissimmee chain used to make it in the top 10s. Pretty sad. 

I'd love to see the lakes...but the slideshow doesn't function for me. They use to publish the list, where is that?

18 minutes ago, Big Mike in Fl said:

I believe at least second year in a row a Florida lake hasn’t made it in the top 10... seems used to be lake O, stick marsh, even the Kissimmee chain used to make it in the top 10s. Pretty sad. 

All ebbs and flows of ecosystems if I had to guess. 10-12 years ago some of the Texas lakes were struggling (relative to what they had been and are now) and now they are flourishing. Guntersville is back with a vengeance after a down 3 or so years earlier this decade. Won’t be long until the FL fisheries will be back in business. 

Top 100 lakes and the first one is a river? Color me confused.  

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I'd love to see the lakes...but the slideshow doesn't function for me. They use to publish the list, where is that?

Someone more skilled at copy and paste can add the entire 100 list published in Bassmaster mag June/July 2019.

Tom

Okay, they managed to put Virginia in the Northeast. The census bureau only includes 9 states in the northeast and Maryland and Virginia aren't included.

 

But anyway, I clicked through the list of the region's best 25 and what do I find in addition to the Potomac River. Jeez, the entire upper Chesapeake Bay.

 

That's no lake either.

 

2019 List Of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes      

RANK	FISHERY	STATE
Top 10
1	St. Lawrence River	New York
2	Lake Guntersville	Alabama
3	Sam Rayburn Reservoir	Texas
4	Clear Lake	California
5	Lake Fork	Texas
6	Chickamauga Lake	Tennessee
7	New Melones Lake	California
8	Lake St. Clair	Michigan
9	Santee Cooper Lakes	South Carolina
10	Lake Erie	New York
Northeast
1	St. Lawrence River	New York
2	Lake St. Clair	Michigan
3	Lake Erie	New York
4	Lake Erie	Ohio
5	Burt/Mullett lakes	Michigan
6	Lake Champlain	New York/Vermont
7	Bays de Noc	Michigan
8	Saginaw Bay	Michigan
9	Lake Charlevoix	Michigan
10	Grand Traverse Bay	Michigan
11	Potomac River	West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland
12	Oneida Lake	New York
13	Cayuga Lake	New York
14	Presque Isle Bay	Pennsylvania
15	Upper Chesapeake Bay	Maryland
16	Smith Mountain Lake	Virginia
17	Webber Pond	Maine
18	Green River Lake	Kentucky
19	Lake Cumberland	Kentucky
20	China Lake	Maine
21	Great Pond	Maine
22	Candlewood Lake	Connecticut
23	Chautauqua Lake	New York
24	Lake Winnipesaukee	New Hampshire
25	Kentucky Lake	Kentucky/Tennessee
Western
1	Clear Lake	California
2	New Melones Lake	California
3	Lake Perris	California
4	Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta	California
5	Diamond Valley Lake	California
6	Don Pedro Reservoir	California
7	Lake Berryessa	California
8	Lake Coeur d’Alene	Idaho
9	Shasta Lake	California
10	Lake Havasu	Arizona/California
11	Roosevelt Lake	Arizona
12	Lower Colorado River	Arizona/California
13	Alamo Lake	Arizona
14	Potholes Reservoir	Washington
15	Lake Washington	Washington
16	Brownlee Reservoir	Idaho/Oregon
17	Sand Hollow Reservoir	Utah
18	Elephant Butte Reservoir	New Mexico
19	Lake Mohave	Nevada/Arizona
20	C.J. Strike Reservoir	Idaho
21	Siltcoos Lake	Oregon
22	Owyhee Reservoir	Oregon
23	Lake Pleasant	Arizona
24	Lake Mead	Nevada/Arizona
25	Columbia River	Oregon/Washington
Central
1	Sam Rayburn Reservoir	Texas
2	Lake Fork	Texas
3	Sturgeon Bay	Wisconsin
4	Toledo Bend	Texas/Louisiana
5	Mille Lacs Lake	Minnesota
6	Lake Falcon	Texas
7	Lake Conroe	Texas
8	Lake Minnentonka	Minnesota
9	Caddo Lake	Texas/Louisiana
10	Table Rock Lake	Missouri
11	Lake Lyndon B. Johnson	Texas
12	Millwood Lake	Arkansas
13	Caney Creek Reservoir	Louisiana
14	Lake Dardanelle	Arkansas
15	Lake Ray Roberts	Texas
16	Lake Texoma	Texas/Oklahoma
17	Lake Ouachita	Arkansas
18	Lake of the Ozarks	Missouri
19	Lake O’ the Pines	Texas
20	Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees	Oklahoma
21	Lake Columbia	Arkansas
22	Bull Shoals Lake	Arkansas
23	Lake Wanahoo	Nebraska
24	La Cygne Reservoir	Kansas
25	Newton Lake	Illinois
Southeast
1	Lake Guntersville	Alabama
2	Chickamauga Lake	Tennessee
3	Santee Cooper Lakes	South Carolina
4	St. Johns River	Florida
5	Lake Seminole	Florida/Georgia
6	Pickwick Lake	Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee
7	Jordan Lake	North Carolina
8	Rodman Reservoir	Florida
9	Lake Murray	South Carolina
10	Falls Lake	North Carolina
11	Lake Tohopekaliga	Florida
12	Shearon Harris	North Carolina
13	Lake Eufalua	Alabama
14	Lake Istokpoga	Florida
15	Watts Bar Reservoir	Tennessee
16	Stick Marsh/Farm 13	Florida
17	Lake Wateree	South Carolina
18	Lake Okeechobee	Florida
19	Wheeler Lake	Alabama
20	Cherokee Lake	Tennessee
21	Clarks Hill Lake	Georgia/South Carolina
22	Lake Jordan	Alabama
23	Fellsmere Reservoir	Florida
24	Roanoke River	North Carolina
25	Lake Lanier	Georgia

That list is a joke. They put the Saint Lawrence River of New York over the Rodman Reservoir, Stick Marsh, Lake Kingsley, Kenyan Lake, Lake Okeechobee, and other well known trophy bass fisheries in Florida? Earlier this year a man caught a 15 pound, 13 ounce largemouth bass out of Orange Lake in Florida and hundreds of 8 pound or better bass get caught every year in Florida. I doubt you will see that type of fishing from the Saint Lawrence River! I bet there are dozens of ponds and lakes in Central/North Florida that has better trophy bass fishing than the Saint Lawrence river has. Florida does not have smallmouth bass but we do have peacock bass which are far more beautiful and pound for pound more powerful fish than a smallmouth bass. The Everglades is well known for +100 bass days (some people have had +200 bass days) so the Saint Lawrence does not compare with numbers of bass caught in 1 day of fishing either. 

It's nice to see Minnetonka on the list - gives me hope that I'll catch something good this year.

Michigan is in the Northeast? Learn something new every day...

 

46 minutes ago, Johnbt said:

23

Lake Wanahoo

 Nebraska

 

That is only 30ish minutes from me - did not expect to see that (or any Nebraska pond/lake/stream/river/watering hole) on this list. I’ve had better luck fishing the subdivision pond near my house then I ever have at Wanahoo. 

Wish they'd stop putting lakes from Kansas on the list. Fishing sucks here, go to Table Rock or Lake of the Ozarks instead. 

Seems like they roughly throw this list together based on incomplete tournament bag data.

 

It's not a flawless list, but it does the job well enough.

Ruh roh! There was a day I thought my home lake didn't get the respect it deserved, and now it's #7 nationally and #2 out west with its neighbor #6 out west. They're both plenty big and out of the way enough that it probably won't affect the pressure on either of them very much, but it is crazy seeing the national attention.

8 hours ago, soflabasser said:

That list is a joke. They put the Saint Lawrence River of New York over the Rodman Reservoir, Stick Marsh, Lake Kingsley, Kenyan Lake, Lake Okeechobee, and other well known trophy bass fisheries in Florida? Earlier this year a man caught a 15 pound, 13 ounce largemouth bass out of Orange Lake in Florida and hundreds of 8 pound or better bass get caught every year in Florida. I doubt you will see that type of fishing from the Saint Lawrence River! I bet there are dozens of ponds and lakes in Central/North Florida that has better trophy bass fishing than the Saint Lawrence river has. Florida does not have smallmouth bass but we do have peacock bass which are far more beautiful and pound for pound more powerful fish than a smallmouth bass. The Everglades is well known for +100 bass days (some people have had +200 bass days) so the Saint Lawrence does not compare with numbers of bass caught in 1 day of fishing either. 

Couldn't have said it better. 

Obviously the criteria they use is limited and flawed. 

Has been for years. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

9 hours ago, soflabasser said:

That list is a joke. They put the Saint Lawrence River of New York over the Rodman Reservoir, Stick Marsh, Lake Kingsley, Kenyan Lake, Lake Okeechobee, and other well known trophy bass fisheries in Florida? Earlier this year a man caught a 15 pound, 13 ounce largemouth bass out of Orange Lake in Florida and hundreds of 8 pound or better bass get caught every year in Florida. I doubt you will see that type of fishing from the Saint Lawrence River! I bet there are dozens of ponds and lakes in Central/North Florida that has better trophy bass fishing than the Saint Lawrence river has. Florida does not have smallmouth bass but we do have peacock bass which are far more beautiful and pound for pound more powerful fish than a smallmouth bass. The Everglades is well known for +100 bass days (some people have had +200 bass days) so the Saint Lawrence does not compare with numbers of bass caught in 1 day of fishing either. 

The article I read in the email from bassmasters stated that the list was compiled by averaging bag weights in B.A.S.S tourneys. If the fish are so big down there, you boys need to start putting together better bags in your derbies.

  I know that during the elite tourny on the st lawrence last year, they constantly talked about having more 20lb+ bags every day of the event than any event in elite series history. Maybe that has something to do with it. 

24 minutes ago, Jleebesaw said:

The article I read in the email from bassmasters stated that the list was compiled by averaging bag weights in B.A.S.S tourneys. If the fish are so big down there, you boys need to start putting together better bags in your derbies.

  I know that during the elite tourny on the st lawrence last year, they constantly talked about having more 20lb+ bags every day of the event than any event in elite series history. Maybe that has something to do with it. 

Yeah, I think they go by average tourney weights. 

Its similar fishing the tidal marshes of SE Louisiana as well .  You can go out and catch 50+ bass on good days, but the weight just isn't there. You come back with anything over 4lb and chances are you will win big fish(I think the biggest I've ever seen weighed in at a tourney I fished was 5lb).   If MLF does a top 100 lakes, the marsh I fish might make the cut.

I've posted a lot of big fish here from #5 on the "Northeast" list.

 "Northeast" ? - Maybe that explains my funny accent.

I always thought those bodies of water were part of the Lake Menderchuck Chain . . . . . . 

Who Knew ?

A-Jay

When did they move Kentucky Lake to the Northeast?  I was planning to fish there this weekend.  Now I don't even know where it is. ?

3 hours ago, Mike L said:

Couldn't have said it better. 

Obviously the criteria they use is limited and flawed. 

Has been for years. 

 

I’m fine with the flaw, more for us Flocals. ? 

They must’ve been following me around for the last 2 weeks here in the Fla.  

I heard giggling coming from the hydrilla and had a bass come out the water, look at me and say ‘brah...come on. You should take up karate instead..’

Been that rough. 

 

6 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

When did they move Kentucky Lake to the Northeast?  I was planning to fish there this weekend.  Now I don't even know where it is. ?

Hahahahaha I saw that too. What in the world ........

I’m going to give Cayuga Lake a try this summer. And a few other lakes in the area. Heck, I might even try and catch a few trouts since my current PB is tied between rainbows and browns at 4 ounces.

13 hours ago, Mike L said:

Couldn't have said it better. 

Obviously the criteria they use is limited and flawed. 

Has been for years. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

We are blessed to live in the Fishing Capital of the World and know very well how good the bass fishing is here. It is common for a Florida bass fisherman to have a PB bass of over 8 pounds and there are many with +10 pound PB bass. Same cannot be said for the Saint Lawrence River and other northern waters where bass do not grow as much. That list is extremely flawed and anybody with decent bass fishing knowledge knows this. Maybe next year they will say Nebraska, Indiana or some other below average bass fishing state has better bass fishing than Florida? LOL

12 hours ago, 813basstard said:

They must’ve been following me around for the last 2 weeks here in the Fla.  

I heard giggling coming from the hydrilla and had a bass come out the water, look at me and say ‘brah...come on. You should take up karate instead..’

Been that rough. 

 

I gotta say, when the water temp is at 90* it can be awful hard putting together a successful day.

I can think of a couple lakes in Oklahoma that are better than Grand or Texoma, not sure who compiled this list and where the data came from.