The 2025 rankings were developed through a combination of tournament data, fishery reports from state wildlife agencies and feedback from thousands of anglers across the country. More than 500 bodies of water were evaluated in the process.
California leads the pack this year with an unmatched 10 lakes in the Top 100, followed by Texas with nine and New York with seven.
The full list — segmented by region and topped with the national Top 10 — showcases a wide diversity of waters, from sprawling Southern impoundments to remote glacial lakes teeming with smallmouth. Whether you’re chasing personal bests or scenic solitude, there’s a lake on this list calling your name.
Full rankings can be found in the July/August issue of Bassmaster Magazine and on Bassmaster.com.
Bassmaster Magazine’s Top 10 Best Bass Lakes of 2025
- Clear Lake, California
O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
Lake Fork, Texas
St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands), New York
Lake Casitas, California
Orange Lake, Florida
Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina
Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota
Lake Erie, New York
Lake St. Clair, Michigan
Best Bass Lakes – Central Division
- O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
Lake Fork, Texas
Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota
Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas
Bussey Brake Reservoir, Louisiana
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Louisiana/Texas
Caney Creek Reservoir, Louisiana
West Okoboji Lake, Iowa
Lake J.B. Thomas, Texas
Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Oklahoma
Lake Claiborne, Louisiana
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
Upper Mississippi River, Wisconsin
Lake Oahe, South Dakota/North Dakota
Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Lake O’ the Pines, Texas
Table Rock Lake, Missouri
Bois d’Arc Lake, Texas
Caddo Lake, Louisiana/Texas
Millwood Lake, Arkansas
Newton Lake, Illinois
Lake Conroe, Texas
Lake Hamilton, Arkansas
Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma
Black Bayou Lake/Hosston Lake, Louisiana
Best Bass Lakes – Southeastern Division
- Orange Lake, Florida
Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina
Lake Guntersville, Alabama
Albemarle Sound & Connected Rivers, North Carolina
Lake Murray, South Carolina
Fellsmere Reservoir/Headwaters/Lake Egan, Florida
Pickwick Lake, Alabama/Tennessee/Mississippi
Jordan Lake, North Carolina
Withlacoochee River/Lake Rousseau, Florida
Lake Lanier, Georgia
Falls Lake, North Carolina
Lake Seminole, Florida/Georgia
Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
Kentucky Lake, Tennessee/Kentucky
High Rock Lake, North Carolina
Dale Hollow Reservoir, Tennessee/Kentucky
Clarks Hill Reservoir, Georgia/South Carolina
Lake Eufaula, Alabama/Georgia
Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
Lake Chatuge, Georgia/North Carolina
Wheeler Lake, Alabama
South Holston Reservoir, Tennessee/Virginia
Lake Hartwell, South Carolina/Georgia
Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi
Lake Okeechobee, Florida
- St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands), New York
Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, New York
Lake St. Clair, Michigan
Lake Erie, Ohio/Michigan
Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont
Burt/Mullett Lakes, Michigan
Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan
Cayuga Lake, New York
Lake Charlevoix, Michigan
Bays de Noc, Michigan
Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
Cobbosseecontee Lake, Maine
China Lake, Maine
Great Pond, Maine
Candlewood Lake, Connecticut
Presque Isle Bay/Lake Erie Central Basin, Pennsylvania
Oneida Lake, New York
Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
Otisco Lake, New York
Potomac River, Maryland/West Virginia/Virginia
Saginaw Bay, Michigan
Chautauqua Lake, New York
Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire
Pymatuning Reservoir, Ohio/Pennsylvania
Lake Cumberland, Kentucky
- Clear Lake, California
Lake Casitas, California
Lake Berryessa, California
Diamond Valley Lake, California
Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona
Lake Perris, California
Siltcoos Lake, Oregon
Lake Washington, Washington
Lake Havasu, Arizona/California
Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
Lower Colorado River, Arizona/California
Moses Lake, Washington
Lake Powell, Utah/Arizona
Don Pedro Reservoir, California
Lake Mohave, Nevada/Arizona
Lake Sammamish, Washington
Lower Otay Reservoir, California
Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico
Navajo Lake, New Mexico/Colorado
Alamo Lake, Arizona
Columbia River, Oregon/Washington
Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana
Dworshak Reservoir, Idaho
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