Best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin
49 Wisconsin waters hold smallmouth bass, 9 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — 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 Michigan — Green Bay North and Bays de Noc — 129 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskellunge
- Lake Michigan — Green Bay South — 128 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
- Lake Michigan — Door County — 424 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon
- Lake Superior — Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay — 613 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Coho Salmon
- Lake Winnebago — 21 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Petenwell Flowage — 44 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Lake Wisconsin — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
- Lake Mendota — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Chippewa Flowage — 92 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Castle Rock Flowage — 35 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Big Green Lake — 236 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Trout Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge
- Willow Flowage — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Namekagon River — 7 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge
- Lac Courte Oreilles — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Geneva Lake — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Tomahawk Lake — 84 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Big Muskellunge Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Chippewa River — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge
- Wolf River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Two Sisters Lake — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Lake Monona — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Flambeau River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Muskellunge
- Pelican Lake — 39 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
…plus 24 more Wisconsin waters holding smallmouth bass.
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 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 lake whitefish lakes
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