Best States/Regions for Kayak Anglers

[Greg728]

I know this might seem like a difficult or weird question to address but I'd like to add a little context. I currently live in Central NJ and the SE PA/NJ area is just a little underwhelming compared to the quality of fishing I see coming from other parts of the country. I'm looking to eventually move somewhere new, but after reading about where the best bass lakes are in the country it seems like most of them are massive and you really need to have a boat to get the most out of those places. I'm not a tournament angler and I don't own a boat. It's just me, my kayak and bank fishing when I don't have a lot of time. What I would like ideally would be to live about an hour or so outside a city with a stable economy, lower cost of living and lots of access to good quality bass fishing waters that are conducive to kayak fishing. The South comes to mind for me as I'm not a fan of harsh winters. Texas originally did but the size of those reservoirs and driving distances between spots kind of deter me at the moment. Am I crazy or do places like this exist? Any input would be appreciated! Thanks. 

[Dens228]

What do you consider good bass?  Good kayaking lakes?   

I live 30 minutes outside of Chicago, hardly a mecca of kayak bass fishing.  I kayak fish about 5 times a week during the summer.  I fish a particular spot that is what I would call medium popular but hear people complain all the time that there are no big bass there.  I caught a 97" 5 bass limit there a couple of weeks ago. It doesn't happen often but it's possible.  But I've spent several years learning that spot. There are a few other places that I do pretty good at too.  The main problem here is a lot of people.  Weekends are next to impossible to fish with much success size wise. 

 

But if I were moving and wanted better fishing it would be the southeast.  

 

 

[Hook2Jaw]

I think Florida would probably be your best bet for tons of smaller water in addition to a large number of lakes.

[Scott F]

Open yourself up to river fishing. Kayaks are practically made for rivers. If you are fortunate enough to have someone to fish with or to shuttle you, you use the current to propel you downstream to your takeout point. If the current is slow enough, you paddle upstream and float back to your car. Good smallmouth rivers are often close to cities, have shallow fishing most of the year, see little fishing pressure and can have good populations of smallmouth bass. For example, Northern Illinois is not normally associated with great bass fishing lakes but the area surrounding Chicago has miles and miles of good smallmouth rivers. Even though there are literally millions of people, fishing pressure on the rivers is not excessive. 

[Bankc]

It's not too bad fishing a large lake out of a kayak.  Especially if the lake has lots of easy access places that you can launch from.  Part of the good thing about kayak fishing is you don't need a boat ramp.  You just have to treat it like you would a small lake or large pond, basically concentrating on a small area, rather than trying to worry about the whole lake.  

 

That being said, if you're looking at Texas, maybe consider Eastern Oklahoma or Arkansas.  Tulsa, Fort Smith, Little Rock... around that area.  There's lots of pretty scenery and lots of good lakes and rivers to fish.  Maybe even up to Springfield Missouri.  The cost of living there will be a lot cheaper than most of Texas that's located near a large city.  And you might shave a few degrees off those crazy Texas summer temperatures.  

[Greg728]

6 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

What do you consider good bass?  Good kayaking lakes?   

I live 30 minutes outside of Chicago, hardly a mecca of kayak bass fishing.  I kayak fish about 5 times a week during the summer.  I fish a particular spot that is what I would call medium popular but hear people complain all the time that there are no big bass there.  I caught a 97" 5 bass limit there a couple of weeks ago. It doesn't happen often but it's possible.  But I've spent several years learning that spot. There are a few other places that I do pretty good at too.  The main problem here is a lot of people.  Weekends are next to impossible to fish with much success size wise. 

 

But if I were moving and wanted better fishing it would be the southeast.  

 

 

I consider good bass fishing as anything better than the dink fest that I currently deal with. I've caught a few fish over 3, 4lbs and two 5lbers, but mainly stuff 2 lbs or less this year and I've gone out as often as possible this year. I would like to live somewhere where the average bass is more than 1.5 lbs. I grew up in this area and I've fished pretty much everywhere there is to fish. I know there are decent fish to catch around me and I now there are dinks all over the country wherever I go but I would just like a change of scenery and a little better access to bigger fish. I've considered the Midwest and I'd probably do it if it weren't for the winters. Chicago is a nice city though. 

3 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Open yourself up to river fishing. Kayaks are practically made for rivers. If you are fortunate enough to have someone to fish with or to shuttle you, you use the current to propel you downstream to your takeout point. If the current is slow enough, you paddle upstream and float back to your car. Good smallmouth rivers are often close to cities, have shallow fishing most of the year, see little fishing pressure and can have good populations of smallmouth bass. For example, Northern Illinois is not normally associated with great bass fishing lakes but the area surrounding Chicago has miles and miles of good smallmouth rivers. Even though there are literally millions of people, fishing pressure on the rivers is not excessive. 

I love smallmouth fishing and I really enjoy bank fishing or wading in rivers but having to fight against current with paddles and all of my gear attached just isn't my idea of fun. Just my preference. I do love smallmouth fishing though.

[flyfisher]

I grew up outside philly and other than driving to fish the river or head out to the susky, lake fishing was pretty slim.  I have since moved down to central VA and it is pretty solid for kayak anglers.  Other than multiple rivers/creeks you have probably 50 electric only or HP restricted lakes within 50 miles of richmond.  I catch my fair share of citation sized bass each year, 22" and at a multitude of places.  

Not sure what you do for work but there is a decent economy here too.  

[Greg728]

1 hour ago, flyfisher said:

I grew up outside philly and other than driving to fish the river or head out to the husky lake fishing was pretty slim.  I have since moved down to central VA and it is pretty solid for kayak anglers.  Other than multiple rivers/creeks you have probably 50 electric only or HP restricted lakes within 50 miles of richmond.  I catch my fair share of citation sized bass each year, 22" and at a multitude of places.  

Not sure what you do for work but there is a decent economy here too.  

Thanks for the tip! I was considering Virginia. 

[Alex from GA]

My kayak fishing is confined to rivers, mostly small, for bass.  I live in N GA and if you're a bass fisherman you're in fat city.  We also have a winter place in central FL and there are small lakes and rivers that also have many good bass and they're very hospitable for northerners.

[Greg728]

2 hours ago, Alex from GA said:

My kayak fishing is confined to rivers, mostly small, for bass.  I live in N GA and if you're a bass fisherman you're in fat city.  We also have a winter place in central FL and there are small lakes and rivers that also have many good bass and they're very hospitable for northerners.

I spent some time in Georgia for an old job and traveled all over down there. I really liked it. 

[NJBasstard]

I've lived in NJ (Gloucester County) almost my whole life and do most of my fishing within an hour from home. Most of my kayak fishing is done in the creeks off the Delaware River. There are some good fish here but you gotta go through a lot of dinks to find them. My only choices for smallmouth fishing here are Union Lake or way north on the Delaware.

 

Back around 2015 I moved away for a year to a town called Lincolnton in North Carolina. I was around 25 minutes from Lake Norman and 45 minutes from Charlotte. I knew nothing about the area so I would just pick a direction and go find water. Lots of skinny moving water down there towards the mountains if that's what your into.  Lake Norman was a learning curve for me. Theres some monster bass in there but the lake itself is bigger and deeper than anything I'd fished before. I learned a lot while I was there though.

 

One thing I learned is that their idea of fishing pressure is different then ours. I'll take a crowded day on Lake Norman over an average day on my local lakes in NJ anyday.

 

 

[CountryboyinDC]

I think some of the comments here saying try to be near a world class river fishery is a good strategy, and I think that's a where kayak fishing shines.  I live near enough to the Potomac and Shenandoah now to make those my primary fisheries and when I lived in southwestern VA, the James the New were places I came to know well fishing from a canoe.  I also was stationed along the Chatahoochee River in Columbus, GA, and fished it both wading and from a canoe and kayak.  But the absolute best place to fish from a kayak I've seen in my life is along the Susquehanna River.  I would say you could make Harrisburg or thereabouts your target area.  I have a cousin who lives in Delta (tiny town just over the MD border).  I have no idea what the job market is like there, but the cost of living is pretty low, and there are lots of smallmouth in those shoals along the Susquehanna there too.

[Greg728]

4 minutes ago, CountryboyinDC said:

I think some of the comments here saying try to be near a world class river fishery is a good strategy, and I think that's a where kayak fishing shines.  I live near enough to the Potomac and Shenandoah now to make those my primary fisheries and when I lived in southwestern VA, the James the New were places I came to know well fishing from a canoe.  I also was stationed along the Chatahoochee River in Columbus, GA, and fished it both wading and from a canoe and kayak.  But the absolute best place to fish from a kayak I've seen in my life is along the Susquehanna River.  I would say you could make Harrisburg or thereabouts your target area.  I have a cousin who lives in Delta (tiny town just over the MD border).  I have no idea what the job market is like there, but the cost of living is pretty low, and there are lots of smallmouth in those shoals along the Susquehanna there too.

I grew up next to the tidal portion of the Delaware River not far from Philadelphia where it has pretty strong current, rapids, boulders, etc. So my idea of kayak river fishing entails having to fight against a lot of current and worry about my gear dumping if I take a spill. Because of that I've been sticking to small lakes and ponds with the occasional stream. I'm new to kayak fishing though and I assume smaller rivers aren't as much of a chore to paddle. I'm actually two hours from the Susquehanna in PA so maybe I'll get out there soon. 

[TnRiver46]

Fishing from a kayak is good anywhere in the US, I take one anytime I have to travel. There too much water in East Tennessee for one person to explore in a lifetime. I had a customer last week that knows every detail about all the water in all the caves in the southeast, pretty wild! (For the record I do not recommend fishing underground.....)

[CountryboyinDC]

8 hours ago, Greg728 said:

So my idea of kayak river fishing entails having to fight against a lot of current and worry about my gear dumping if I take a spill.

Those are things you have to contend with fishing a river like the Susquehana for sure.  I personally believe it's worth learning how to do because you get on water that fewer (although I definitely wouldn't say few) people go.  Don't see too many jetskis on any of the rivers I fished on the non tidal portions.  

If you do decide to make the effort, a good course in river/whitewater kayaking or canoeing might really help.  ACA doesn't really have a course of which I'm aware that focuses on kayak fishing, but their lower level courses usually take place where there's only no more than easy Class 2 water.  That really would allow you to fish 90+ percent of the really good water on the Susquehanna that I've been on.  There used to be a guy somewhere around Harrisburg, Juan somebody, that gave highly-recommended river kayak fishing courses.  I don't think he's still doing it any longer, but someone else may be.  And there's always inflatables if you just can't get comfortable in a kayak.

I hope you find a place you like to live; there's definitely more to think about than the best fishing even if I wished there weren't (I'm not living in the DC area for the fishing).  I think regardless of where you end up, if there's a river known for bass fishing, it's worth checking out.

[HookInMouth]

On 7/24/2020 at 10:46 PM, Greg728 said:

I'm actually two hours from the Susquehanna in PA so maybe I'll get out there soon. 

Smallmouth heaven right there. Juniata too. Especially in a yak. I'm south-western PA (Pittsburgh area). As a river rat I love the choices here. That said, I've long flirted with making a move to Florida and I'd be lying if I said fishing wasn't a part of that. It's mostly a money lol. But fishing too! 

[Bankc]

The reason that most lakes with good reputations for bass fishing are large is because they're large.  Finding a lake, pond, or river with lots of large bass isn't that rare.  Finding a lake that is large enough to host a huge fishing tournament, yet still produces plenty of big bass is what's hard to come by.  And it's those tournaments that give the lakes their reputations.  And their size keeps them from being overfished as easily, so they don't lose their reputation once word gets out.  

 

So the "best bass lakes in the country" aren't necessarily the best places to fish for bass.  They're just the best lakes to host bass tournaments.  For instance, the biggest LM bass in Oklahoma are in Cedar Lake.  If you want to catch a 10+ lb. LMB in this state, that's the place to do it.  But you don't hear of any tournaments going on there (though I'm sure they have some smaller ones) because it's an 86 acre lake.  That's why Eufaula (105,500 acres), Grand (41,779 acres), Tenkiller (12,900 acres), etc. get all of the tournament action around here.  They're large enough to support a tournament and the fishing is still pretty acceptable.  

[Greg728]

On 7/27/2020 at 1:48 PM, HookInMouth said:

Smallmouth heaven right there. Juniata too. Especially in a yak. I'm south-western PA (Pittsburgh area). As a river rat I love the choices here. That said, I've long flirted with making a move to Florida and I'd be lying if I said fishing wasn't a part of that. It's mostly a money lol. But fishing too! 

I'll have to check it out! Thanks

 

On 7/28/2020 at 3:59 PM, Bankc said:

So the "best bass lakes in the country" aren't necessarily the best places to fish for bass.  They're just the best lakes to host bass tournaments.  For instance, the biggest LM bass in Oklahoma are in Cedar Lake.  If you want to catch a 10+ lb. LMB in this state, that's the place to do it.  But you don't hear of any tournaments going on there (though I'm sure they have some smaller ones) because it's an 86 acre lake.  That's why Eufaula (105,500 acres), Grand (41,779 acres), Tenkiller (12,900 acres), etc. get all of the tournament action around here.  They're large enough to support a tournament and the fishing is still pretty acceptable.  

This was really helpful thank you. I'm just so far removed from the tournament fishing angle of the sport that I never thought to consider this. 

[VolFan]

East Tennessee - near Knoxville or Chattanooga. Plenty of big lakes, plenty of rivers. Brown fish, green, fish, striped fish, and even some good trout. Chickamauga if you want to get big fish.  Its just the best place in the US.

[junyer357]

Look at north Alabama, around the huntsville area. Booming area of state economy and job wise, and surrounded by some of the best fishing in the country. You can fish big water like guntersville, or smaller rivers too like the flint or elk. Plus local county public lakes, watersheds, or pay lakes. 

[NYWayfarer]

Anywhere North of where you find these guys...

 

[Tackett1980]

WV doesn’t have great fishing despite what any one may tell you.  But as far as kayaking large lakes goes...it really isn’t an issue.  I mean you definitely won’t win any land speed records but honestly I can’t ever imagine the need to suddenly go from one side of the lake to the other...  If I was going to move anywhere specifically for the fishing and my yak, it would 100% be somewhere on the coast where I could fish inland flats.

[kjfishman]

If it were not for winter I would move to Marquette MI.  There are big lakes little lakes rivers and small mouth bass, northern pike and more! If you could find work Kirksville Missouri has a wide choice of places to fish and one lake has Muskie.  North central Missouri has a lot to offer but no big cities.  Pick a city and spend some time on google earth and see what there is to offer. 

 

[Mbirdsley]

Michigan is home to 10,000 lakes of all shapes and sizes.  The only real area devoid of a ton of lakes is the triangle between Lansing, Saginaw, and flint.  But, there are a lot of great small mouth rivers in that area 

[KYRANGERMAN]

Kentucky has the most miles of navigable waterways of any state.  Everything from small lakes to Kentucky Lake.  Small mouth, KY Spotted Bass, Largemouth.  I live in the middle of the state and within 2 hours I can be at over 10 lakes.  They are man made reservoirs so all of them have rivers that can also be fished.