Best smallmouth bass lakes in Vermont
70 Vermont waters list smallmouth bass (official records or labelled estimates), 41 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Current- and rock-loving fighter. Lives around gravel, boulders and hard-bottom structure.
- Lake Champlain — 392 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Lake Champlain — Inland Sea and Malletts Bay — 143 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Lake Champlain — South Lake — 29 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Moore Reservoir — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
- Lake Bomoseen — 65 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Carmi — 33 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Dunmore — 106 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Crystal Lake — 106 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Otter Creek — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Common CarpWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Great Averill Pond — 102 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Lake TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Hortonia — 58 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lake Fairlee — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Maidstone Lake — 117 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Groton — 36 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow PerchWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Chittenden Reservoir — 37 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow TroutWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Joe's Pond — 90 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Morey — 42 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, BluegillWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Fairfield Pond — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Salem — 67 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow TroutWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Island Pond — 59 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow TroutWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lac Wallace — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Iroquois — 37 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Echo Lake — 121 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- East Long Pond — 105 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Lake Elligo — 101 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 45 more Vermont waters holding smallmouth bass.
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Vermont waters with public access data
When to fish smallmouth bass in Vermont
- Spring 3–12 ft — Gravel and rock flats near deep water; spawning happens on hard bottom.
- Summer 10–30 ft — Offshore rock humps and deep points; smallmouth suspend near bait.
- Fall 8–25 ft — Feeding hard for winter — long tapering points and rocky drops.
- Winter 20–45 ft — Deep, vertical presentations near rocky wintering holes.
Also in Vermont: best largemouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best chain pickerel lakes · best burbot lakes · best brown bullhead lakes
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