Black bass are New York’s most popular freshwater sportfish. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass can be found throughout the state, thriving in waters of all sizes, and are among the most exciting fish to catch.
In 2023, six lakes in New York State were included on Bassmaster Magazine’s top 100 best bass lakes in the country.
Among the New York waters included are the St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands), ranked as the second-best bass lake in the nation, and Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, ranked as ninth-best lake.
Lake Champlain, Cayuga Lake, Oneida Lake, and Chautauqua Lake made the list, as well, and are in Bassmaster Magazine’s top 25 Northeastern Best Bass Lakes 2023.
In 2021, New York boasted six locations in Bassmaster Magazine’s top 25 bass lakes in the Northeast. This included the St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands) (#1), Lake Erie (#3), Lake Champlain (#4), Cayuga Lake (#11), Oneida Lake (#18), and Chautauqua Lake (#25).
Warmwater rivers of New York also provide bass fishing opportunities. The Chenango River, Tioughnioga River, Unadilla River, Chemung River, Wallkill, and Seneca River are among warmwater rivers where anglers can experience great river bass fishing.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website has resources for black bass anglers, including Places to Fish and Warmwater Fishing webpages for information on where to experience bass fishing in the State. The HuntFishNY mobile app is also available.
source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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