← Wisconsin fishing maps

Best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin

689 Wisconsin waters list smallmouth bass (official records or labelled estimates), 49 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.

1. Lake Michigan — Green Bay North and Bays de Noc — 129 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, MuskellungeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
2. Lake Michigan — Green Bay South — 128 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 27 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Lake Michigan — Door County — 424 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Chinook SalmonWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites
4. Lake Superior — Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay — 613 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Coho SalmonWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 28 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Lake Winnebago — 21 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 26 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
6. Lake Pepin — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Petenwell Flowage — 44 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 19 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Lake Wisconsin — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 25 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Castle Rock Flowage — 35 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 24 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Chippewa Flowage — 92 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
11. Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
12. Menominee River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 12 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Lake Mendota — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 17 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Castle Rock Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
15. Big Green Lake — 236 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
16. Lac Vieux Desert Lake — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Long Lake — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
18. Trout Lake — 110 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
19. Willow Flowage — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
20. Namekagon River — 7 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 11 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
21. Lac Courte Oreilles — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
22. Geneva Lake — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Holcombe Flowage — 62 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
24. St. Croix River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, MuskellungeWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Lake Owen — 95 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 664 more Wisconsin waters holding smallmouth bass.

Find the closest smallmouth bass waters to you →

When to fish smallmouth bass in Wisconsin

• 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 Wisconsin: best largemouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best rock bass lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best lake sturgeon lakes

Smallmouth Bass elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · British Columbia · Québec · Michigan · Maine · New Hampshire · New York · Montana · Massachusetts · Wyoming · Washington · New Brunswick · Indiana · North Dakota · Texas · Iowa · Ohio · Connecticut · Nebraska · California · Missouri · Vermont · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · Nova Scotia · New Mexico · Kansas · West Virginia · Idaho · New Jersey · Kentucky · Oregon · North Carolina · Tennessee · Nevada · Virginia · Rhode Island · Manitoba · Pennsylvania · Maryland · Arkansas