I’m going to have a significant chunk of time off in July and August of 2026. I want to book a bucket list small mouth trip during this period period. I’m thinking it will need to be guided, or at least partially guided.

Who can help me with some specific recommendations of guides and/or lodges/resorts or other ideas?

There’s really no cost limitation and say somewhere between 3 and 5 days is probably the length of trip.

There's so many open questions that make it difficult to recommend anything...

What kind of fishing do you want to do?

Rivers, lakes?

Wading, floating, power boat?

Conventional gear, or fly fishing?

What part of the country (or Canada) do you want to go to?

Is it just you, or will there be others with you?

Will you be staying in hotel(s), are you looking for a lodge, or will you be camping?

Will you be driving to where you fish, or flying?

That can be a tough time of year for smallies.

Only make a few trips to fish for them in July.

I'd go with a guide for sure and I might lean towards a floated river trip.

Maybe go north - like I need a passport north

Good Luck and enjoy your time off.

You've earned it.

A-Jay

You could catch plenty of bass in northwestern Ontario in July, but since you live in Kansas, that's a long ways to go in three to five days. Maybe some of the streams in the Ozarks?

You could do an upper Mississippi -> Mille Lacs -> St. Croix road trip. July/August is a good time to be on the rivers.

2 hours ago, Further North said:

There's so many open questions that make it difficult to recommend anything...

What kind of fishing do you want to do?

Rivers, lakes?

Wading, floating, power boat?

Conventional gear, or fly fishing?

What part of the country (or Canada) do you want to go to?

Is it just you, or will there be others with you?

Will you be staying in hotel(s), are you looking for a lodge, or will you be camping?

Will you be driving to where you fish, or flying?

Fishing from a power boat.

Anywhere in North America.

1 other person

Camping or lodge doesn’t really matter. Just looking for good fun fishing. Don’t mind to pay to play.

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

That can be a tough time of year for smallies.

Only make a few trips to fish for them in July.

I'd go with a guide for sure and I might lean towards a floated river trip.

Maybe go north - like I need a passport north

Good Luck and enjoy your time off.

You've earned it.

A-Jay

Well I do have a passport… and I’m not opposed to the idea of a fly-in trip up north…just need some recommendations where to start

I sent you a PM.

Seems like st Lawrence would be the place to fish for a trophy. The river smallies bite really well here in the summer time but it’s not exactly an exotic destination for a bucket list and our 21 inch SMB weigh about 4-5 lbs instead of 6-7

2 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

You could catch plenty of bass in northwestern Ontario in July, but since you live in Kansas, that's a long ways to go in three to five days. Maybe some of the streams in the Ozarks?

3-5 days is the length of stay. Travel not included.

Well, since this is posted in the Smallmouth section, what about Lake St Clair?

That's my bucket list trip for smallies.

28 minutes ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

3-5 days is the length of stay. Travel not included.

Well, then, I'd fish one of the Great Lakes for a Great adventure with Great fishing.

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

Well, then, I'd fish one of the Great Lakes for a Great adventure with Great fishing.

Do you have a Great guide or a Great lodge suggestion?

I do not recommend Mille Lacs in July or August at all. Its the dead sea.

River action is where its at in midsummer, as others have mentioned.

1 hour ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

Do you have a Great guide or a Great lodge suggestion?

I've caught hundreds of smallmouth in these two rivers on my own, both in the Upper Peninsula: the Whitefish River and the Menominee River. Both flow into Lake Michigan and where they meet the lake is prime fishing too. Plus, it's beautiful country!

34 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Menominee River beautiful country!

That's for sure.

Took the family over there a few years ago.

No fishing but some white water rafting if you can believe that.

Reach out to Marcel Veenstra at www.Marcelsguideservice.com. He’s one of the best guides on st Clair and also does trips on the great smallie lakes of northern Michigan.

That fish in my profile pic was thanks to Marcel. Back before I had my own boat lol.

I agree with @A-Jay , July-August isn’t prime time for lake smallies. They primarily go deep when the lakes warm up. Rivers are your best bet. I have my own river craft and don’t use a guide often but I have used guide Mike Mladenik on the Menominee, located on the Wisconsin/Michigan border. Other choices are the Wisconsin River and the upper Mississippi. 20” smallmouth are not uncommon on these rivers, and they are accessible in July and August. There are many other lakes in these areas so you can take your boat along too if you want. These rivers for the most part are not outboard friendly unless you know where you are going. The weather in summertime is very comfortable in theses northern states, and it’s not all that far from KC, Kansas

11 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

Fishing from a power boat.

Anywhere in North America.

1 other person

Camping or lodge doesn’t really matter. Just looking for good fun fishing. Don’t mind to pay to play.

If you're 100% on a power boat, that means lakes, and that means Canada, IMO.

If you were OK with river, and floating, the river mentioned above in Wisconsin from a drift boat, or jet are great, but you're not going to get a v-hull into the upper reaches of them.

Door Co Wisconsin in July is very good. Lots of guides. Most wives really like the area.

While I've never been there, Big Bay de Noc is on my bucket list and July is when I'd go.

Dale Hollow-Bobby Gentry(guide)

Bobby would be getting big ones night fishing in summer, not a bad idea

He is THE MAN!!!!!

On 2/11/2026 at 5:53 AM, Junk Fisherman said:

Door Co Wisconsin in July is very good. Lots of guides. Most wives really like the area.

Good idea. I love Door County. There's also great salmon, whitefish, and musky fishing.

I love Big Bay de Noc too...and its little brother.

I have never been there, but Dworshak reservoir in Idaho is on my dream bucket list. Nearby Snake river is also excellent.

I am always partial to the Susquehanna River.