PICKED FROM THE B.A.S.S. 100 BEST
Written by Andrew Canulette, Christopher Decker, Mark Hicks and Brian Sak
All B.A.S.S Photos
If you’re looking for your next dream destination to chase easy bites and personal bests, look no further. Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings return for 2025, and this year’s list is packed with surprises.
From legendary fisheries reclaiming their glory to emerging hot spots making a splash for the first time, this is the most comprehensive, data-driven breakdown of America’s top bass lakes you will find.
To build this ultimate bucket list of bass fishing destinations, we went far beyond the dock. Our team scoured tournament results from every major circuit over the past 12 months, analyzing weights, catch rates and consistency. We consulted with state fisheries biologists and natural resource agencies, gathering insights on stocking programs, habitat health and long-term trends. And we polled thousands of passionate anglers to get boots-on-the-ground perspective from those who know these waters best.
Some lakes that dominated in past years didn’t make the cut in 2025, a reflection of how dynamic and unpredictable fisheries can be. Meanwhile, others exploded on the scene, earning their spot with shocking weights. Whether you want to chase smallmouth in the North, giant largemouth in the South or tank spotted bass in between, these rankings have you covered.
The Top Ten In The Southeast
1. Orange Lake, Florida [12,550 acres]
For the second consecutive year, Orange Lake reigns supreme over the Southeastern region. There just aren’t many places where this many giant largemouth are being caught with regularity. In the month of April, six bass over 10 pounds were registered with the Florida TrophyCatch program from Orange Lake alone. For the year, over 100 TrophyCatch submissions have been made (bass over 8 pounds), and five of those bass were over 13 pounds. The tournament catches are off the chain, too. In mid-February, it took 30 pounds to win an Xtreme Bass Series tournament, and seven bass over 10 pounds were brought to the scales. Then in late March, it took 32 pounds to win in the same series, and a 12.70 was the big bass. If you need more evidence, an April Xtreme Bass Series event took 35.37 pounds to win, and the big fish was a 13-pounder. The top three teams in that event all had 30 pounds or better. That was followed by a Florida B.A.S.S. Nation event that took 25 pounds to win and a 9.84 largemouth to win big bass.
2. Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina [110,000 acres and 60,000 acres, respectively]
The top-end weights produced by lakes Marion and Moultrie have been nothing short of outstanding in 2025. It took 35 pounds, 3 ounces to win a BFL event in late February, and in that event, longtime South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation competitor Gary Pope landed a 13-6 largemouth. A few weeks later, five 30-pound bags crossed the stage in a three-day National Professional Fishing League event, while 22 bags of 25 pounds hit the scales. CATT results have been equally impressive. The winners of a Feb. 8 event weighed in a limit of 37.5 pounds, including a 9.87 big bass. The fun continued into March. A Carolina Bass Challenge tournament took 28.71 pounds to win; 33 bags over 20 pounds were scored, and a 9.58 lunker won big-bass honors.
3. Lake Guntersville, Alabama [69,000 acres]
Always a staple in the 100 Best Bass Lake rankings, the bass fishing on Lake Guntersville has been electric this year. All three species of bass swim in these waters, and nearly every tournament takes at least 25 pounds to win. Thirty-two bags over 20 pounds were caught during a BFL event in mid-February, and the winner caught a limit weighing just over 29 pounds. The Angler’s Choice Championship the last week of February took a two-day total of 53.83 to win. Twenty-two bass over 6 pounds were caught, and a 10-pounder claimed big-bass honors. Then during the March 15 Alabama Bass Trail event, 58 teams caught 20 pounds or better, with 29.18 pounds claiming the title.
4. Albemarle Sound/Pasquotank River/Roanoke River/Chowan River/North River/Alligator River, North Carolina [50-mile radius from Burgess]
If you didn’t know about this place before, you certainly should now. The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series visited eastern North Carolina for the first time ever in April, and Kyle Welcher put on a clinic, landing 118 pounds, 12 ounces over four days to win his first Elite title. That total included a 10-pounder and multiple 7-pounders. Even with Welcher’s astounding performance, a cold front and wind kept the rest of the field from showcasing what these sets of rivers can really do. It consistently takes over 20 pounds to win CATT Tidewater Division events on the Sound. Stacy Light and Matt Greschak won a late March event with 25.72. An 8.62 largemouth won big bass. If you head out to this beautiful destination, make sure to bring a windbreaker, as the gusts just never seem to quit.
5. Lake Murray, South Carolina [50,000 acres]
It is a neck-and-neck race between Lake Murray and Santee Cooper for the top destination in South Carolina. Santee Cooper may have the edge this year, but this Columbia-area reservoir is just a step behind. A BFL event in mid-January was won with 26 pounds, 10 ounces, and a 9-8 largemouth was brought back to weigh-in. The Carolina Bass Challenge visited Lake Murray in February, a tournament that took 31.26 pounds to win. The Top 19 teams all had bags over 20 pounds, and an 8.61 largemouth won the big bass award. Impressive numbers of 4- to 6-pounders swim in this blueback herring-driven fishery, and if you can land on the right point and the right time, the results will be unforgettable.
6. Fellsmere Reservoir/Headwaters/Lake Egan, Florida [10,000 acres, 6,500 acres and 2,500 acres, respectively]
It’s easy to see why these lakes generate so much attention from visitors and Floridians alike: They just grow big bass. After a slight dip in production last year, 36 bass over 8 pounds, an astounding 56 Florida TrophyCatch submissions have been registered on these three fisheries. A 13-3 was the biggest landed so far this year, with several more eclipsing the 10- and 11-pound marks. Although it is behind the 2023 pace, the lakes have certainly produced enough to keep them safely in the rankings.
7. Pickwick Lake, Alabama/Tennessee/Mississippi [43,100 acres]
What a standout year for Pickwick Lake. If there were any doubts about its production, those have surely quieted down after what has gone down this season. An early February Toyota Series event took a three-day total of 84 pounds, 4 ounces to win. That’s an average of 28 pounds per day. To get paid in an early March BFL event, you needed at least 20-11. Then, the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier presented by Lowrance produced a winning three-day total of 77-6. The Top 10 in that event averaged 20 pounds per day, and an 8-3 largemouth claimed big-bass honors. During an April 5 college event, 22 bags of 20 pounds or better were landed.
8. Jordan Lake, North Carolina [14,000 acres]
As far as reservoirs are concerned, B. Everett Jordan might be the most consistent producer of big bass in the state of North Carolina. The winners of a Feb. 8 Piedmont Bass Classic qualifier caught 33.43 pounds and anchored their bag with an 8.15. That was the third-biggest largemouth of the event, with the big bass topping out at 9.01. A 5 Alive Team Trail event on March 29 was won with 27.61 pounds, and an 8.76 checked in as the big bass. Fishers of Men visited Jordan Lake in late April, and it took 25.18 pounds to win, with an 8.43 big bass of the day.
9. Withlacoochee River/Lake Rousseau, Florida [20-mile radius of Dunnellon]
This fishery on the west side of the Sunshine State is a consistent producer of quantity and quality. Six bass over 7 pounds, including a 9.82, were brought in during a Feb. 23 Xtreme Bass Series event, which was won with a 23-pound bag. Six TrophyCatch submissions have been registered since the beginning of March in Lake Rousseau, while the Withlacoochee has produced five since the beginning of the year. A quick look through the tournament results seems to indicate that this lake gets better as the temperatures heat up. The winning team of an American Bass Trail event at the beginning of May assembled a five-bass limit of just over 27 pounds.
10. Lake Lanier, Georgia [38,000 acres]
There aren’t many lakes in the country that fish this well and yet remain so underrated. You can catch a 20-pound bag of spotted bass or largemouth, and you can catch a lot of either species. Plus, Georgia wildlife officials believe it to be the best lake in the state. In back-to-back high school derbies in February, Roper Putnam and Jack Story won a Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation event with 22 pounds of spotted bass. The next day, they won another high school event with 24.73 and a behemoth 6 1/2-pound spotted bass. A March 1 BFL event took over 21 pounds to win, and a GSM Team Trail event later in the month saw three teams land limits over 22 pounds.
Rankings Of Other Notable Southeast Lakes
14. Kentucky Lake, Tennessee/Kentucky
16. Dale Hollow Reservoir, Tennessee/Kentucky
18. Lake Eufaula, Alabama/Georgia
19. Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
21. Wheeler Lake, Alabama
24. Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi
Click here to see all the Top 100 lakes.
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