Photo by Nick Tobler (Cowturtle) on iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Largemouth bass
Micropterus salmoides
- When
- Apr–Oct — April, May, June, July, August, September, October. Earlier in the south, later in the north.
- Where it holds
- Weed beds, lily pads, docks and any shade in warm, slow water.
- How to know it
- Green with a dark lateral stripe, and an upper jaw that extends past the back of the eye.
- What to know
- The most widely stocked gamefish on the continent. Ambush predator — fish structure, not open water.
- The tactic
- Weedless plastic worm in the salad; frog on the pads at dawn.
Seasons, size limits and catch limits change every year and differ by water body. Check the current regulations for your province or state before you fish.
Found in these regions
- Boreal North & Taiga
- Boreal Forest & Shield
- Acadian Forest & Atlantic Coast
- Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Lowlands
- Northeast Atlantic Coast & Piedmont
- Appalachian Highlands
- Central Hardwoods & Interior Plateaus
- Southeastern Piedmont & Coastal Plain
- Gulf Coast & Mississippi Lowlands
- Florida Peninsula
- Prairies & Great Plains
- Western Mountains & Interior Plateaus
- Pacific Maritime
- Mediterranean California
- Deserts & Dry Basins
- Hawaiʻi & the Tropics
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Also active in September
FishYear-roundWalleye
Sander vitreus
Olive-gold flanks, a spiny first dorsal, and the big glassy eye that gives it the name and lets it hunt in low light.
Where and how to catch it →
FishMay–OctSmallmouth bass
Micropterus dolomieu
Bronze-brown with vertical bars, red eye, and a jaw that ends level with the eye — not past it.
Where and how to catch it →Photo: Joshua Johnson · CC BY 4.0
FishJan–JunNorthern pike
Esox lucius
Long torpedo body, duck-like jaws, light bean-shaped spots on a dark green flank.
Where and how to catch it →Photo: Daughter Dad · CC BY 4.0