[50-mile stretch, plus eastern Lake Ontario]
This unrivaled smallmouth fishery appears to be getting even better. It took 105 pounds to win the four-day Bassmaster Elite Series tournament here in late August 2023. Each of the top four finishers tallied over 100 pounds. On the first two days, the 102 competitors weighed in an astounding 48 five-bass limits over 20 pounds. Day 3 saw 39 of 50 anglers sack more than 20 pounds. The final 10 all had over 20 pounds. We aren’t seeing that sort of production out of many largemouth lakes across the country right now, much less smallmouth fisheries.
[30-mile radius from Buffalo]
The deep, clear, rocky eastern basin of this Great Lake continues to produce quality smallmouth, and plenty of them, revealed Lake Erie Research Unit aquatic biologist Pascal Wilkins. “We’ve had very consistent catch rates and numbers,” Wilkins said. “The average fishing trip yields 15 bass, and it’s not uncommon for anglers to experience 50- to 60-bass days, especially in the spring. The fishing is good up the entire New York shoreline. Two tournaments out of Buffalo [in spring of 2024] produced smallmouth bass weighing more than 6 pounds.”
[490 square miles]
The bass habitat in this picturesque lake ranges from shallow grass to deep, rocky structure. It supports strong populations of smallmouth and largemouth bass, and either species or a mix of both may win any tournament here. The results of a 50-angler event in late August of 2023 are typical. It took 22.08 to win, and four of the competitors weighed in over 20 pounds. Twenty-seven anglers had over 15 pounds. The big bass weighed 5.22.
[38 miles long, 3 1/2 miles wide]
Largemouth and smallmouth thrive in the aquatic vegetation and bottom structures that rim this deep, glacial Finger Lake. Cayuga maintains both species in size and in numbers. A tournament in mid-June 2023 is typical. It took 24.77 pounds to best a field of 72 anglers. The top 12 all had over 20 pounds, while the top 31 all sacked over 15 pounds. The big bass weighed 6.22 pounds.
[79.8 square miles]
This scenic Finger Lake never disappoints. Tournament limits that exceed 15 pounds are the norm. Smallmouth dominate, but quality largemouth occasionally claim the top prize. A tournament here in early September 2023 drew 50 anglers. Although September is typically a poor month for bass fishing, it took 20.82 pounds to win, with the top three anglers lugging over 20 pounds to the scales. The top 16 anglers caught over 15 pounds. Big bass weighed 4.77.