Bassmaster 100 Best Bass Lakes

[Quillback]

Beaver did not make the top 100! The nerve of that magazine!

Anyway, Lake Falcon is #1, Okeechobee #2.

Local lakes - Grand #17, Lake Ouchita #28, Lake of the Ozarks #30, Table Rock #41, Bull Shoals #51.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ok Ive fished all but Falcon on your list ( ill need to go look at the full list still) But The Big O #2 are you kidding me???? I would rather spend a day at Stick Marsh farm pond 13 any day of the week or Blue Cypress then Ockeechobee and I LIVED 30 minutes from it!

[Ham]

That kind of list is designed to get ppl talking. I've fished Ouachita fairly recently and there's no way I think it is the 28th best place to fish in the US. I also think BSL is better than Table Rock, but that's just me. Heck, the way it's been fishing this year Stockton is the best lake in this area.

[Feathers and Fins]

At the top of the list are lakes where you will catch giant bass, and plenty of ’em, in a beautiful setting. As you read further down the list, trophy potential may drop off, or perhaps numbers may dwindle. However, making this list isn’t easy. There are thousands of bass lakes in the U.S. — these 100 simply shine brightest.

Bassmaster Magazine's 100 Best Bass Lakes

1 Falcon Lake, Texas

2 Lake Okeechobee, Florida

3 Lake Guntersville, Alabama

4 Lake Erie, Michigan/Ohio/New York/Pennsylvania

5 Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont

6 Lake Amistad, Texas

7 Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota

8 San Joaquin Delta, California

9 Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

10 Clear Lake, California

Those lakes SERIOUSLY! Who the heck is smoking what or has investments in or near them.

Of the top 10 I have fished

2 Lake Okeechobee, Florida

3 Lake Guntersville, Alabama

6 Lake Amistad, Texas

8 San Joaquin Delta, California

10 Clear Lake, California

Now you want big bass as part of it and plenty of them, where is

Stick Marsh

Blue Cypress

Casitas

Castaic

Pyramid

Perris

Toho

Just to name a few. This “list” is a joke IMO, NO northern lake can compete with a Southern Lake for Big Bass Florida strain don’t make it up there. Now scenery well (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But to me the biggest joke is Diamond Valley in Cali even made the list. It’s a new lake as far as lakes go, Heck I watched the dams being built for it. And to get in and fish it is a nightmare. Here is what it takes to fish the lake.

Entry fee: 7.00

Launch Fee: 12.00

Fishing Permit: 3.00

And you better pray your boat doesn’t have any moisture or a drop of water on it anywhere or you will be turned away for Quagga Muscle Fear.

I Know any “list” can be argued but this one screams what were they thinking and there are many others I can think of that should be on it that are not.

[TroutRinger]

Glad to see LOZ at #30. Gets a bad rap for the water conditions (and rightfully so in most places) but I couldn't count how many 4-5 pound bass I've caught in life there.

[J-Doc]

Yeah I know. Don't get me started. Beaver shiuld have made the cut. Its not a spectacular lake for a tremendous population of 10lb + bass but it is still a quality lake with tons of bass in it. It's a challenging lake with all of the pressure it receives in weekends and locak tournaments but that makes it a better lake in my mind. The fish are smart and you have to be smarter to catch a really good one. Thats how I look at it. I wish B.A.S.S. and Bassmaster saw it that way too. I love my home lake and would love to see it get some praise.

And who wants to fish Falcon? Really?? Who wants to catch 8-12lb log donkeys. Where is the fun in that??

(Excuse me, I need to go plan a trip to FALCON) :-)

[Addicted to Creeks]

why would you want more people coming to your lakes, if I fished a lake and it made one of these lists I would be seriously bummed

[J-Doc]

The first BASS tournament was held on Beaver Lake many years ago with Bill Dance taking second place on a plastic worm. I think its only fitting that BASS should return one day.

Tournaments bring a lot of income to the local economy, promote the sport of fishing to a vast audience, helps attract new folks to the sport, encourages people to get out and fish.

Why do I want to perpetuate my sport? It belps prolong my favorite sport by creating demand. Demand creates industry. Industry creates inovation. Inovation creates better equipment, baits, gear, promotes better govt managed programs for lakes which promotes better fisheries, etc.

I don't think that's a stretch. I think bass tournaments are a very good thing. Bringing attentiin to an already public lake creates a ton of benefits for that lake in the long run.

This is a public lake, not a private Bill Dance style stocked pond. :-) People are going to fish it regularly regardless. Falcon has enougb bass and a good enough fishery, it can handle the added pressure. Besides, this is Beaver. You gotta KNOW how to fish this lake to be a real threat. :-)

[Feathers and Fins]

FLW fishes it. That aint a small tournament.. BASS can stay away for all I care. Now PWT I wouldnt mind seeing. It would be interesting to see those guys try to fish the EYE'S on Beaver. One day someone will create a striper tournament, I would love watching thsoe guys try to figure out Beavers fish as well. Be good for laughs.

[J-Doc]

Yes and I love that FLW still fishes Beaver. I would just like to see the BASS guys struggle on my home lake. :-)

A striper tournament.........man that could be fun. The weigh-ins would be thrilling!