I invite you to rate your water and by "your water," I mean the river/stream/lake/pond/swamp you fish the most. First, tell a bit about it. Then rate it one to five stars and explain why. For example:

 

A bit about it:

 

My water is a 170-acre natural lake that's 10' at its deepest. It's bordered on three sides by wetlands. It holds mostly lmb, but a few fat smallies. It has three streams, which all hold bass at various times.

 

Its rating and why:

 

I give it four stars. It has a LOT of cover for bass, the bass are exceptionally strong, and it's beautiful, with largely wild shorelines. Plus, beavers, loons, eagles, and ospreys are commonly seen and heard. Because I own five acres of its shoreline, I'm able to keep two canoes there and it's five minutes from my home, so it's convenient. It also challenges me, with plenty of cover to tangle lines and free fish and whereas I consistently catch bass there, it can skunk other anglers, so it keeps me engaged and thinking. Lastly, three to three-and-a-half-pounders abound.

 

Why not five stars? Well, the bass top out at about four pounds. Plus, whereas it's beautiful, it's not the most beautiful water I fish.

I’ll play! 
 

My lake:

 

My lake is an ultra clear natural lake in the Adirondack mountains, about 700 acres, and has a deep hole that gets down to 60’. It has lots of structure in the form of drops offs, points, flats, humps, and ledges. The banks are all steep and the contour lines are close together but irregular. For cover, it has dozens of timber laydowns and logs, as well as expansive beds of milfoil, hydrilla, broad and curly-leafed pondweed, lily pads, and elodea. Fish species are largemouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, rock bass, black crappie, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, common carp, and golden shiners. 
 

Rating:

I will give it 4.5/5 stars. The only reason I won’t rate it 5 stars is because the lack of smallmouth. This lake is the best fishing lake I’ve fished in NY and it sets the standard of how I rate other lakes. The average size of the largemouth is exceptional most years. I’ve caught bass up to 23.5”, and over 6lbs. I’ve also seen fish swimming in early spring that would easily be in the 7lb class. Fish that will make your heart stop when you realize it wasn’t a carp. Numbers are also great in this lake. It’s easy to catch a couple dozen fish or more in a few hours, and the chances are large ones being mixed in is high. And it has beautiful Adirondack scenery for the very rare cases that the fishing isn’t on.  

My river:

I fish the Susquehanna river. One of the oldest no commercially navigated rivers in the world. Even older than the Nile and Amazon. 
 

it is shallow, rocky, very wide at areas. 444miles long. It destroys boats, kayaks and people wading. The current can be very swift and the fishing changes by the level of it. 
 

Rating:

I rate it a 4.5. The days vary greatly. Size, catch rate and location change drastically. Even through out the day. Bite windows can be short or last all day. The fish do not always locate where you would think. Some of this rating also comes from how hard it is on equipment. If you value keeping your stuff pristine don’t even attempt it. 

My Lake:

Small watershed that is run as a camping and recreation area by the county parks department. 90 acres is all but it is pretty diverse in that there are two actual bodies of water connected by a small channel...one is shallow and off color with lots of downed trees and brush the other is "deeper" and has clearer water color. This watershed borders a river that often times floods into it which is obviously problematic but can also "stock" the pond with several species. Fish species include but are not limited to largemouth bass, small mouth bass, northern pike, white bass, walleye, channel catfish, bluegill, green sunfish, drum, bullhead, white and black crappie, and several carp species.

Rating: 3 out of 5

I'd like to rate it higher but I have to be honest with myself...its not a bad fishery but its not great. The negatives come from the fact that it floods which ruins the fishing for at least a year typically as it muddies the water and also displaces fish. Another factor is this is run as a county park so even though the county does a fine job there is also garbage laying around often and also a fair amount of drunken jacka$$ery from time to time. The positives are in the diversity of fish species and the general quality of fish. Right now we are recovering from floods over the past several years so the laregmouth size is a bit lacking but the numbers are good. That said I've got dozens of bass over 5 over the years, several 6s a couple 7s including one just a few years back and my PB of 8lb 12oz. Also the crappie and bluegill numbers and size have made a strong comeback which is great to see. As for diversity I've fished it 3 times in the past week and caught largemouth \smallmouth\white bass, drum, bullheads, channel catfish and bluegills.

 

I give Stillhouse Hollow in Central Texas ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Let's start with the pros and then we'll hit cons.

 

Pros:

• Great access. There are six different parks accessible from a kayak across 6,429 acres. 
• Hydrilla and standing timber
• No homeowner docks
• Clear water
• Night fishing anytime. Just have to be in before the gates close on most parks.
• Good scenery of limestone bluffs, especially around Dana Peak Park
• Smallmouth and largemouth
• Known to hold decent numbers of 6-10lb bass

Cons:

• Fishes really small at times. Most good spots and areas are community holes.
• This lake does get plenty of pressure and the fish see well in the sometimes ultra-clear water.
• Being in Texas, if you want a 13+lb share lunker, this is not the place to go.
• Water fluctuations are crazy. Let's take a look at a historical chart of the water level here.

 

It's good. I do not give Stillhouse Hollow 5 stars because there are better lakes in Texas farther away. I have fished Stillhouse for about 2 years. After 2 years, I have explored and fished nearly every corner of this over 6000 acre lake in a kayak. I am on my way out of here soon, so if anyone has questions about this lake, I am more than happy to share information including some of my best fishing spots.

My favorite Lake Menderchucks are all between 15 and 18 thousand acres,

up to 19 miles long, up to 5 miles wide and all have depths over 100 feet,

with at least one dropping off to almost 300 ft deep.  Read that again. 

Just ridiculously picturesque, it's like launching my rig onto a post card every time. 

Most loaded with a variety of species of  healthy, well fed gamefish typical for northern Michigan.

My quest for big brown bass on these lakes can be pretty challenging but still quite possible.

https://youtu.be/l4JGH21R93Q?feature=shared

 

And despite the fact that I'm looking at hard water for an average of 5 months a year,

These are still  the Easiest Places for me to rate EVER ~

⭐⭐ ⭐⭐  ⭐⭐  ⭐⭐  ⭐⭐ 

So fortunate to be able to get on these place whenever I can.

The grass isn't always greener . . . . . 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

I fish lots of different waters 

I bank fish a small, shallow river in Northern Michigan. It’s a gentle, steady current with a ton of life. It’s a swampy, wetland waterway fed from a shallow, fertile lake with two cold water streams entering its feeder lake and the river itself. I fish up high near the lake and down low near its mouth.
 

It gets large, lake run smallmouth in the spring-early summer, and nice largemouth most of the year. I’ve saw bass pushing 6-7lbs here, but average is 15-18” with fish 20+” around. It has lots of weeds and grass beds, some lily pads scattered around, rocks/wood and deeper holes. It’s a sandy/muck bottom and full of prey in the form of panfish, perch, gobies, crayfish and frogs.

 

It gets heavy summer rec, tourist, and googan traffic which can make it very trying some days. I always take what I can fool and know what I’m getting into mostly. Not sure on rating but I keep hitting it in various spots and haven’t burned out yet one bit. Maybe I’ll finally get the kayak I got a few weeks ago wet, who knows 

I rotate a plethora of challenging and alluring bodies of tiny to small size water with smart big bass in them.

 

Wouldn't change any of them And each one gets its own unique 5 out of 5 Stars!

I fish a lot of waters.  Old Hickory Lake is right down the road.  It's a 22,000 acre impoundment on the Cumberland River.  I like it because it's close.  If it was 50 miles away I wouldn't bother making the drive.  It does have plenty of fish both Largemouth and Smallmouth but the size is lacking.  15 pounds will win most tournaments.  It's a complete mad house on the weekends during the summer.

 

I'll give it 3 stars.

Flint Creek Reservoir. Grade C. State is now giving the fishermen surveys at the entrance to fill out on the bass, bluegill and crappie. State of Mississippi is taking steps to improve the fishing. It's a beautiful lake of about 13 miles of shoreline or 650 acres in a wild setting with campers and tourists with motorhomes and nice bass boats. Gets fished a lot. Park my car right there in the shade and fish this riprap and several points in the lake getting there by my car. This is my main big water fishery. Fish other smaller options, too. Cliff Pace, Petal, Ms., 2013 Bassmaster Classic winner once called the lake his home lake.

Good Fishing 

My home lake is Pickwick. It is a 43,100 acre lake on the Tennessee River between Wilson Dam in the South to Pickwick Dam in the North. Pickwick is known for its giant largemouth and giant smallmouth. Some say the next world record smallie will come from either Pickwick or Dale Hollow. Tournaments on Pickwick often take a 25lbs-30lbs bag to place in the top 5. Pickwick has a little of everything, grass, lots of wood, rock, bluff walls. Many people fish the creek channels, ledges, humps and other structure offshore. For those that like panfish, Pickwick is loaded with all kinds. Accommodations are fantastic. That's the positive. The negative is the recreational boating often overcrowds the lake. Every weekend (day and night) there seems to be 8-10 tournaments going on around the lake. My experience is that Pickwick has diminished as a fishery for the average angler. The pros still tear it up with big bags and lots of numbers. I have talked to a dozen or more anglers who all say they are struggling on Pickwick this year and last year. 

 

So as far as it goes as a natural treasure and what it offers? I'd give it 5 stars. 

As far as the potential to catch a trophy of a lifetime? 5 stars. 

As far as it being a prolific fishery for the average angler, I'd give it 3 stars. 

So an average of 4+ stars.

 

Edit: I consider myself a good bass fisherman but Pickwick has humbled me. I can't figure it out.

Katie..

Thats a lot typing for an old guy with fat fingertip’s! 

 

My Water…

Lake Okeechobee 

 

About it?…

It’s Lake Okeechobee!

 

Rating…

5+ Stars

 

Why?…

Because it’s Lake Okeechobee 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

I fish 2 lakes when I can lake Casitas and lake Castiac.

Casitas is currently ranked 4th in Bassmaster top 100. Casitas is semi private lake because the Quagga mussel inspection prevent taking your boat to another lake with 35 day quarantine time period.

Casitas is only 2,000+ acres, 300 feet deep by the dam with good wildlife and lots of oak trees plus no water contact sports allowed. The bass fishing has recovered from all fires and years of low water conditions, now full pool.

Castiac is the opposite of Casitas about the same size and depth but butt ugly terrain a few trees, mostly brown brush and rocks, wildlife consists of coyotes and rattle snakes. Bass fishing is generally good but the Stripe Bass population has ruined Castiac for trophy size bass. Castiac has water contact sports with noisy wake boats and jet skies. Castiac lagoon or after bay is small lake below the dam about 60’ deep, electric only and still has a few trophy size bass with the bank having cattails reeds has more eye appeal.

Casitas I would rate 4 stars ( 5 if giant bass show up) , Castiac main lake 2 stars on week days, lagoon 3 stars.

Tom

I read these reviews and think, "I want to fish there. And there. And there."

 

Columbia River.  I like it from tidal affected lower portions to the upper reaches.  Much of the scenery is spectacular.  It can be treacherous when the wind blows.  The smallmouth pull hard and knock a Super Spook three feet in the air.  I’d rate it 4.78329.  Old photo.  

My favorite lake is in Nayarit Mexico.  It is a reservoir about 2 miles long, and 1/2 miles wide at full pool. In the summer during the rainy season the upper end is a flooded cow pasture, and the bass are in the flooded bushes, and grass.  There is no aquatic vegetation, but the flooded grass is tall and green.

 

The lower end of the lake is deep and rocky, with giant flooded trees that are about 20 feet tall.  In April May and June some of the tree tops will be above the water.  On an average year the water fluctuates about 30 feet.  In the rainy season the water is has less than a foot of visibility, and in winter and spring the visibility is between 2 and 3 feet.

 

The lake gets very little sport fishing pressure, but there is a large amount of commercial netting for Tilapia.  The gill nets catch most of the bass that are between a pound and 4 pounds.  The spawn must be successful, because there are always lots of bass that weigh less than a pound.  There are also giant bass, and that is why It is my favorite lake.

 

I rate it a 4.5 out of 5.  The chance of hooking DD bass is very good, and I land an 8 to 9 pound bass 9 out of 10 days I fish there.  I also like the fact that it fishes like a miniature full size reservoir.  There are days I can develop an offshore pattern, and there are days I  can fish the shallow water.  Every technique imaginable can be used successfully on this lake depending on water level, and water clarity.  The only down side is, I can't determine when the spawn is and where they spawn.  Most of my biggest bass have come after the fish have spawned.  I catch them off of deep structure, and cover.  The other down side is it takes 4 hours for me to drive to the lake and on a good year I might be able to fish it 10 -15 days a year.  This year I have fished there 7 days, and haven't landed a DD bass.  I have 5 bass over 9 lbs. and one that was 9.9 pounds, but a DD eludes me.  Prime time is over, and I probably wont be able to get back there before the end of the year.  Hopefully next spring I  will be able to fish there more often. 

My #1 WATER is about 300 acres, in SE Mass.  It's public, but parking is limited and is a PIA to get to.  It's 45' deep at its deepest, has little structure except for a small cove that has most of the water's vegetation, two expansive flats with sparse grass, one hump, a few rocky areas, and three distinct bowls that go from 6' to 20'.

 

It houses brown and green bass, as well as BIG pickerel.  Large white perch are also abundant.  It's crystal clear to 12-15', and the first and only lake I saw a BIG fresh water eel staring up at me in 9-10' of water one afternoon.

 

It's my favorite because it's completely hit or miss.  I love to hate the place (sort of like Mash-Wake, right @Mr. Aquarium?).  I've caught smallies where I'd expect Larries to be and vise versa.  It DOESN'T play by conventional rules.

 

Funny thing is, my SMB & LMB personal bests did not come from this lake.

 

I'm going to give it three stars.  It's a great pond with really good fish in it.  I never to terribly well there and it's become personal for me to figure it out and grab the big fish I know are in there.

My main lake is 50000 acres with 1000 miles of shoreline.  It used to be great but with tournaments all the time with up to 500 boats it is becoming hard to catch quality fish.

 

The other one is smaller only 26000 acres but a lot less pressure and a good smallmouth population.

Great post, Katie!

I fish 5 watershed lakes and several public lakes. 

My favorite is "Secret Lake".  It has no access and little to no fishing pressure.  You have to drive across 1/2 mile of pasture to get to it.  No boat ramp.  Dirty water, lots of duckweed, lots of standing timber and brush.  About 200 acres.  Lots of wildlife which I prefer to lots of people!

 

I rate it a 5 star lake although the fishing fluctuates from year to year, which is normal natural progression.  In 2019 I caught 52 over 5#.  This year I have only caught 8 over 5#, but I'm happier than a woodpecker in a lumberyard!

2 hours ago, Lottabass said:

In 2019 I caught 52 over 5#. 

 

Wh-wh-WHAT? I'd drive over a hundred miles of pasture to fish that lake!!!

2 hours ago, Lottabass said:

I'm happier than a woodpecker in a lumberyard!

 

Funny!

 

16 hours ago, Mike L said:

Katie..

Thats a lot typing for an old guy with fat fingertip’s! 

 

My Water…

Lake Okeechobee 

 

About it?…

It’s Lake Okeechobee!

 

Rating…

5+ Stars

 

Why?…

Because it’s Lake Okeechobee 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

This is what I was going with.......

The lake I fish most is just over 1K acres and HEAVILY pressured for both bass and musky. Despite the pressure, it keeps producing quality fish. I think that's largely because it has lots of weeds and deep water where the fish can seek refuge, though unfortunately FFS is changing that. 

I'll rate it 4 stars given it's small size and the amount of pressure it receives.