shimmy Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 As we have all seen and discussed, here is the top 100 lakes posted for 2013. It seemed apparent that some lakes should definitely not be on the list while some that were not mentioned should. My question is, do you believe there are states that should not be listed on the top 100? Basically, is one state's best lake not good enough to crack the top 100. I blatantly lean towards yes. I am curious though, how many states (which ones) would you take off the list and still have the best top 100 list? I wonder if we would only need a few states to make the top 100 list of lakes in the country. I know a top 100 list is arbitrary since it encompasses everything from catching high numbers vs size, vs numbers and size, vs variety of largemouth and smallmouth. Just curious if politics were not involved, what would be the top 100 lakes, we always have lists of top ten but i think it would be fun if someone had the patience and knowledge to take a chance of making one. Lake St. Clair, Michigan Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas Clear Lake, California Lake Guntersville, Alabama Lake Erie, Michigan/Ohio/New York/Pennsylvania Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee Falcon Lake, Texas Lake Okeechobee, Florida San Joaquin Delta, California Toledo Bend Reservoir, Texas/Louisiana Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Kentucky Lake/Barkley Lake, Kentucky/Tennessee Thousand Islands, New York Rodman Reservoir/St. Johns River, Florida Grand Lake ‘O The Cherokees, Oklahoma Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont Upper Mississippi River, Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa/Illinois Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas/Missouri Potomac River, Maryland/Virginia Pickwick Lake, Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee Columbia River, Washington/Oregon Kissimmee Chain Of Lakes, Florida Lake Amistad, Texas Lake Oroville, California Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia Dworshak Reservoir, Idaho Candlewood Lake, Connecticut Lake Fork, Texas Lake Michigan, Wisconsin/Illinois/Indiana/Michigan Cobbosseecontee Lake, Maine Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota Shasta Lake, California Lake Austin, Texas New River, West Virginia Rainy Lake, Minnesota Bullards Bar Reservoir, California Oneida Lake, New York Table Rock Lake, Missouri Lake Charlevoix, Michigan Lake Eufaula, Alabama/Georgia Lake of the Arbuckles, Oklahoma Lake Lanier, Georgia Lake Powell, Utah/Arizona Lake Ouachita, Arkansas Lake Havasu, Arizona Lake Istokpoga, Florida Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire Summit Reservoir, Nebraska Lake Sammamish, Washington Florida Everglades, Florida Lake Berryessa, California Kezar Lake, Maine Lake Oahe, South Dakota Douglas Lake, Tennessee Okoboji Lake, Iowa Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland Louisiana Delta, Louisiana Lake Seminole, Georgia/Florida Apache Lake, Arizona Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin Sebago Lake, Maine Lake Mead, Nevada Lake Gaston, North Carolina Roosevelt Lake, Arizona Spirit Lake, Iowa Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee/Kentucky Lake Tarpon, Florida Lake Konawa, Oklahoma Rend Lake, Illinois Lake Conroe, Texas Falls Lake, North Carolina Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana Squam Lake, New Hampshire Lake Anna, Virginia Lake Murray, South Carolina Red River, Louisiana High Rock Lake, North Carolina Burt Lake, Michigan Pueblo Reservoir, Colorado Kerr Reservoir/Buggs Island, North Carolina/Virginia Perry Reservoir, Kansas Lake Mohave, Nevada Wilson Reservoir, Kansas Lake Audubon, North Dakota Navajo Lake, New Mexico Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania Lake Dunlap, Texas Lake Norman, North Carolina Lake Wawasee, Indiana Manasquan Reservoir, New Jersey Lay Lake, Alabama Webster Lake, Massachusetts DeGray Lake, Arkansas Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey Cayuga Lake, New York Fayette County Reservoir, Texas Logan Martin Lake, Alabama Quote
Super User flyfisher Posted March 31, 2014 Super User Posted March 31, 2014 I don't get why politics has anything to do with a top 100 lakes list......and also how rivers make the list. I haven't fished many places across the country so i know i couldn't even begin to make a list....and even if i could i sure wouldn't share it with anyone Quote
Western-Mass-Bass Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I don't get why politics has anything to do with a top 100 lakes list......and also how rivers make the list. I haven't fished many places across the country so i know i couldn't even begin to make a list....and even if i could i sure wouldn't share it with anyone +1 Quote
Super User jbsoonerfan Posted March 31, 2014 Super User Posted March 31, 2014 I have fished 42 and 70 on a number of occasions and there are other lakes in OK that I would put above those. However, there was a tourney 2 Saturdays ago on Arbuckle where the top three teams weighed in a lil over 108lbs (average of 7.25 per fish) and the first place team had 42.71 (new 5 bass lake record) and 6 bass over 10lb. So I reckon that is pretty salty. Quote
BassObsessed Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I haven't fished anywhere near the amount of big lakes that I want to but I would put Lake Toho very close to the top and ahead of Okeechobee. 1 Quote
Brian Needham Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I don't get why politics has anything to do with a top 100 lakes list......and also how rivers make the list. if it is anything like state golf course rankings...... local comber of commerce money goes a long way... also designer name on the national level, but lakes don't designers lol that is probably what is meant by "politics" Quote
Brian Needham Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I am surprised Chickamauga is ranked so high..... I never fished it so I am not saying it is not deserved, just saying I just don't see a bunch of press coming out of there on a regualar basis. I am also "surprised" Kentucky Lake is ranked so "low" happy though about Pickwick, I guess I can now say I fish one of the top 20 lakes in the country, Lol Quote
livetofish28 Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Fished 25 today 19 in September and 77 practically weekly I can happily say Va has some quality lakes/rivers and that one fish Anna can be a real hawg factory sometimes Tight lines Andrew Quote
shimmy Posted March 31, 2014 Author Posted March 31, 2014 I don't get why politics has anything to do with a top 100 lakes list......and also how rivers make the list. I haven't fished many places across the country so i know i couldn't even begin to make a list....and even if i could i sure wouldn't share it with anyone As you read how they made the list, it was clear they did not want to leave any state out if they could avoid it. There was still a lot of thought and effort put into and the DNR was involved with which lakes were placed based off of the DNR's lists of catch rates, population studies and stocking schedules for all the managed lakes. It was then further evaluated based off of tournament results for that particular body of water. Then outdoor writers and industrial professionals pitched in. It seems a smaller portion was determined by Elite Series pros who were questioned. Then 3,500 B.A.S.S members throughout the country were asked (since apparently they would represent the country on the best bass lakes...). So politics comes in to play slightly here as i mentioned. I do add that i enjoy the effort being made, however, ask strictly pros and big bass chasers and you will get a different list. It's the latter list i would rather recognize. Quote
Super User AK-Jax86 Posted March 31, 2014 Super User Posted March 31, 2014 I was surprised to see Manasquan Resivour,NJ on the list I use to live by there and fish it all the time. They had a baitshop were they had a small selection of lures and they had shiners and night crawlers. They have two boat ramps and boat docks where you can rent jon boats for a half or full day. There was basically every type of cover/environment to fish out there it was awesome. I would definitely reccomend this place to anyone in NJ or the NJ area. Tons of species of fish in there largemouth, smallmouth, pickerel, pike, Muskie, hybrid stripe bass, bluegill/sunnies, catfish, and that's what I remember off the top of my head. Amazing fishery haven't been there in about 3.5years and have been in FL for little over 2. When I go back to NJ to visit I am definitely going to stop there again. Quote
plumworm Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Having fished 12 of the 100, #2 ,#4 ,#8 .#12, #17, #22, #29, #39, #47, #52, #62, #74, I think that the only one I would say does not belong on this list is #62, Lake Winnebago. And it's in my back yard. It does have a good LM and SM population, however it is not a top 100 bass lake. We will find out when the Elites show up in the fall for their championship series though. A little bird told me that. Quote
0119 Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Who takes anything bassmasters say or print seriously anyway? 5 Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted March 31, 2014 Super User Posted March 31, 2014 If they were supposed to be ranked in order, this list is just plain silly. Regionally, Guntersville has been #1 lfor a long time, but Pickwick has taken over the past three years or so. Kentucky Lake would be a distant third. Bull Shoals is a beautiful lake, but not a great lake for bass. Same goes for Grand Lake, Quachita and Lake Of The Ozarks. 1 Quote
Super User Master Bait'r Posted March 31, 2014 Super User Posted March 31, 2014 Waitwaitwaitwaitwait... Webster Lake is listed and no Quabbin? That is insanity. Sure, you can't stomp around the place in your 250hp glass boat but does that honestly knock it out of the running?? That makes me kind of sad. Quote
Super User WRB Posted March 31, 2014 Super User Posted March 31, 2014 It's difficult to know what was used as a baseline, certainly not quality of the bass fishing or man hour per bass caught. It looks more like a popularity contest among select tournament anglers. Several California lakes are missing and Oroville doesn't belong rated, decent lake but quality is low. New Melones is nearby to Oroville and better lake with both numbers and quality with a world record Spotted bass recently. Don Pedro should be on the list, also near New Melones, ref; Chris Fish avatar smallmouth was a Don Pedro bass. No lakes from SoCal due to small lake size? DVL takes 25 lbs to win, Casitas takes 20+ lb to get a check! Castaic and Perris still produces good numbers. Lake Pleasant in AZ is far better lake than Apache for both numbers and quality? Texas has a lot of lakes listed but a few outstanding lakes are missing!. Whatever. Tom 4 Quote
Super User .ghoti. Posted March 31, 2014 Super User Posted March 31, 2014 I'm very happy to say that none of the places I fish on a regular basis are on that list. Quote
Mainebass1984 Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 The best lakes probably aren't on the list. I am happy to see most of the good bass fishing lakes in New England didn't make it. There are several lakes which I wont mention where you have to average 4 1/4 lbs to be any where near contention. Five fish bags over 25 lbs are what it takes on a bunch of lakes around here. Quote
tholmes Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 Who takes anything bassmasters say or print seriously anyway? Ha! There's a lot of truth there^. Tom Quote
Super User Shane J Posted April 1, 2014 Super User Posted April 1, 2014 That list is an absolute joke. Basically, except Erie, no lake above the Mason-Dixon Line should be on it. Certainly nothing in NH! Haha! Yeah, like I'd rather fish Winni over O.H.Ivie, Tx, which isn't even on the list! The real list would hurt too many people's feelings, so it's not an accurate list at all. 2 Quote
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