Super User Jrob78 Posted June 17, 2015 Super User Posted June 17, 2015 http://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/bassmasters-best-bass-lakes-2015 It looks like a lot of really small lakes are included this year. Quote
Super User Catch and Grease Posted June 17, 2015 Super User Posted June 17, 2015 Yeesh some of the bags they talked about are insane.... I wanna go to a lake that you can catch a 25lb bag and still not be in the top 25 I'm surprised lake Seminole got as high as it did, might be planning a trip there soon. Good read! Quote
Jd_Phillips_Fishin Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 High Rock does NOT deserve to be on this list. Catches have been way down and fishing pressure has been terrible. Quote
vmabuck Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Nice! Five in my state and I live 12 miles from #64 and 5 miles from #13 on the list... Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 No surprise, but I see Indiana didn't have a single lake make the list this year This is the type bass fishing we have to deal with all the time. Guess it's better than Alaska though -T9 1 Quote
Caliyak Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 2 lakes from Texas, Wis and Cali in the top 10. Quote
GoTakeANap Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 No surprise, but I see Indiana didn't have a single lake make the list this year This is the type bass fishing we have to deal with all the time. Guess it's better than Alaska though -T9 SC didnt have any on the list 2-3 years ago if im not mistaken and now there is 5 on there. Crazy. Quote
greentrout Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Lake Somerville in Texas is a sleeper. The Old School Basser... Quote
basshole8190 Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Yeesh some of the bags they talked about are insane.... I wanna go to a lake that you can catch a 25lb bag and still not be in the top 25 I'm surprised lake Seminole got as high as it did, might be planning a trip there soon. Good read! Seminole is on fire this year! Went in April and had 18 lbs in the boat before lunch. Also hooked a 6' gator. Quote
Super User WRB Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 The lake that matters is #1 Toledo Bend, Catt's lake and well deserved. California has 5 1/2 lakes counting Havasu on the Arizona-Caliornia boarder. Winning this only puts added fishing pressure on the lakes, Toledo Bend is a big lake that can handle the increased traffic! Tom Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted June 18, 2015 Global Moderator Posted June 18, 2015 No surprise, but I see Indiana didn't have a single lake make the list this year This is the type bass fishing we have to deal with all the time. Guess it's better than Alaska though -T9 No Kansas lakes again, like there shouldn't be. I think it was the first year they had 3 on there, and none of them were our 2 best reservoirs, and I'm fine with that. BUT, no Table Rock?? 1 Quote
Super User iceintheveins Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 I would put a few lakes that should be selected as Honorable Mentions: 1. Lake Powell, Utah ( smallies average 1/2 pound to two pounds with the odd 3 pounder, so primarily focus on largemouth, which average 2 to 5 pounds and occasionally bigger) Takes at least a 20 pound sack per day to win most tournaments), and I've seen three day totals of 45 pounds not quite make the top 5. If it's tough, catch some smallies for a quick limit (10 pounds if you're lucky), and then focus on nothing but largemouth the rest of the tournie.) The drought has made finding largemouth someone tricker due to lack of brush cover but they often sit in the shallows near where the brush once was, and will use cover like tumbleweeds and log jams from flash floods. Smallies sit on the rip rap rocks. The best rip rap rocks are those in the shade, the very best ones stay MOSTLY in the shade). 2. Lake Washington, Washington. 3. Sand Hollow Reservoir, Utah 4. Quail Creek Reservoir, Utah 5. Wilson Lake - AL/TN 6. Elephant Butte, NM (Though Drought affected) 7. New Melones, CA (Through Drought affected) 8. Lake Oahe, SD (smallies) 9. Truman Lake, MO 10. Weiss Lake, AL 11. Stick Marsh, FL (though not what it was a few years ago) 12. Flaming Gorge - UT/WY, good numbers of smallies to five pounds. Gotta average 18 to 20 pounds top constantly have change there 13. Aurora Reservoir - Colorado - Producing lots of 3 to 4 pound smallies and some even bigger, while the largemouth are taking off in the flooded shallows again and some 7 - 8pounders have been showing. It's not a head over heals action type lake, but when you get bit,it's a quaility fish. Gas motor only lake which is a slight pain, but the real pain is a very overbearing parks staff that kicks you off right at dusk and will ticket you for anything they can. But it is a good fishery. Nearby Quincy Lake is much smaller, but 5 - 7 pound largemouth aren't unheard of and 3 - 4 pounders common. 14, Navajo Reservoir - numbers aren't insane, but 3 - 5 pound smallies are common and a 20 - 25 pound limit on smallies a long isn't out of the question for a skiller basser. Most of these lakes it takes at least a 22 pound bag to have a chance at the top three or winning. If we get some good rain and snow this year in California and for the next several years, lakes like Folsum, Whiskeytown, Diamondvalley, Pyramid and others will start to produce better once again. 2 Quote
Super User fishballer06 Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 Pymatuning in the 60's? That's a shocker. I would hardly call it an amazing bass fishery, compared to some of the lakes (and limits) you hear of down south, but I guess its good to have a local lake on there. My club had a two day tournament there 3 weeks ago and on the first day, there was a 21 lb. bag (six fish). Quote
BigmouthForever23 Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Man what I would give to have a chance to fish one of these lakes...oh my. I hope one day when I retire I'll have the chance to settle down in an area with a well-known bass lake like one of these. My early thoughts are somewhere in Texas because of the vast number of lakes and I love horses too so it's a win/win. Quote
Super User WRB Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 To qualify today for a Bassmaster top 100 lake the lake needs to be capable of withstanding increased fishing pressure, host a B.A.S.S. tournament and have recreational facilities. Smaller size lakes can't qualify unless a voting board member supports the choice, always a few exceptions. So if your lake isn't listed and you know it's a better bass lake then others you see listed, be glad you don't have the added boat traffic. Most good bass fishing states could easily add 5 more lakes per state, then you would need a top 200 list! Just think how many folks would be upset if the list a top 10 or 25, the current listing would change due to the pressure. This years number 1, Toledo Bend is the number 1 bass lake in the country, few can agrue that fact. Tom Quote
Super User fishballer06 Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 To qualify today for a Bassmaster top 100 lake the lake needs to be capable of withstanding increased fishing pressure, host a B.A.S.S. tournament and have recreational facilities. Smaller size lakes can't qualify unless a voting board member supports the choice, always a few exceptions. So if your lake isn't listed and you know it's a better bass lake then others you see listed, be glad you don't have the added boat traffic. Most good bass fishing states could easily add 5 more lakes per state, then you would need a top 200 list! Just think how many folks would be upset if the list a top 10 or 25, the current listing would change due to the pressure. This years number 1, Toledo Bend is the number 1 bass lake in the country, few can agrue that fact. Tom I understand what you are saying, but I can tell you that Pymatuning #63 is limited to 20hp motors only. Quote
Super User WRB Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 There are several exceptions, lake a Mead hoist the U.S. open every year, deserves to be on this list, Apache lake AZ, is small and fishes smaller, no facilities, lake Roosvelt up the road hoist tournaments year around and should be listed, and the beat goes on! Tom Quote
Super User Montanaro Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 First problem is most of those aren't even lakes Quote
EmersonFish Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Of interest to me is 'Lake of the Ozarks' making a big move up the list, and 'Table Rock' falling completely off for the first time that I'm aware of. I've always felt 'Table Rock' was a bit overrated as a fishery, in recent years in particular; but I'd have to do a lot of fishing at a lot of lakes to know it's not a "Top 100" lake anymore. Quote
Super User WRB Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 Top 93 lakes and 7 rivers, CA delta is a river system. Tom Quote
Super User Catt Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 Pickwick #36? I know huh! Atchafalaya Basin? I know it help some tournaments but it aint on nobodies bucket list here in Louisiana! Quote
Super User deep Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 Didn't go through the list, but did any SoCal reservoir make the cut? Quote
Super User WRB Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 Didn't go through the list, but did any SoCal reservoir make the cut?No! Pardee a small lake in NorCal makes it on for the world record Spotted bass. SoCal lakes are very low pool due to the drought and we don't need any more traffic!Tom Quote
Super User deep Posted June 18, 2015 Super User Posted June 18, 2015 You know Tom, that's fortunate for you guys, but also sad. There's enough pressure as it is anyway. Is San V open again? Quote
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