Largemouth bass
Find Your Next Spot

Largemouth bass

Micropterus nigricans

Largemouth bass
Identification

Olive-green with a dark, jagged stripe running the length of its body and a large mouth that extends past the eye — the easiest way to tell it apart from smallmouth bass.

Where It's Found

The most widespread freshwater gamefish in the U.S. — found in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and slow-moving rivers in nearly every state, especially around weed beds, docks, and submerged timber.

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

Fishing Notes

America's most popular gamefish by a wide margin. Topwater lures at dawn and dusk, soft plastics worked slowly near cover, and crankbaits along drop-offs all produce well through the warmer months.

Scientific Classification
Family
Centrarchidae
Genus
Micropterus
Order
Centrarchiformes
Class
Actinopterygii
Phylum
Chordata
Kingdom
Animalia
Read more on Wikipedia →

Ready to go fishing?

Find a boat ramp near you and check state fishing regulations before you head out.

Photography sourced from Wikimedia Commons contributors.