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Bassmaster Magazine Crowns 100 Best Bass Fishing Lakes in U.S. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Bassmaster magazine, the official publication for members of B.A.S.S., announced Tuesday the 100 best bass fishing lakes in the U.S. The list was compiled in a months-long process that included research from state fisheries agencies, nominations from B.A.S.S. Federation Nation tournament organizers and a panel of widely traveled professional anglers, fishing writers and others.
Despite its reputation as a dangerous place to fish, Texas' Falcon Lake ranked in first place. The 58-year-old impoundment straddles the Rio Grande and is shared by Texas and Mexico. The 83,000-acre reservoir has been in the news as much for drug cartel-related crime as for its enormous catches of largemouth bass.
Falcon produced the record winning catch for the Bassmaster Elite Series circuit when Paul Elias caught 132.5 pounds of bass during four days in 2008. Although the Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments have not returned to the lake since, it regularly gives up tournament-winning catches averaging more than 8 pounds per bass.
Texas tops the list of states with eight lakes or rivers in the Top 100, followed by Florida, which has seven fisheries on the list, including No. 2-ranked Lake Okeechobee. Rounding out the Top 10 are Lake Guntersville in Alabama, Lake Erie in Michigan/Ohio/New York/Pennsylvania, Lake Champlain in New York/Vermont, Lake Amistad in Texas, Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, San Joaquin Delta in California, Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho and Clear Lake in California.
According to Bassmaster editor James Hall, the idea for ranking the best lakes emerged at a B.A.S.S. tournament during a lively discussion among outdoor writers with definite ideas about the nation's top performing lakes. Hall decided the debate warranted a more in-depth investigation.
"Instead of just having opinions, we wanted to put science behind the opinion to rate the '100 Best Bass Lakes,'" Hall said. "The method was as scientific as we could make it. The result is a list of outstanding fisheries. I think it will be fun for people to consider where their favorite lake stands compared to the best in another state." The 100 Best Bass Lakes list was ranked using a variety of qualifiers. Department of Natural Resource representatives provided the five most productive lakes in each state based on electroshock surveys and angler catch rates. B.A.S.S. Federation Nation presidents offered top lake recommendations based on tournament catches, while conservation directors supplied details on lake accessibility and best fish stocking practices.
A blue ribbon panel of outdoor writers, editors, Bassmaster Elite Series professional anglers and fishing industry veterans ranked the final list based on current fishability of each lake, considering its history, big fish and overall quantity potential and aesthetic surroundings of the area.
The list is slated to appear annually. For full details about each of the lakes ranked, as well as more details about each one, visit http://www.bassmaster.com/news/100-best-bass-lakes.
Bassmaster Magazine 2012 100 Best Bass Lakes in the U.S.
1. Falcon Lake, Texas 2. Lake Okeechobee, Florida 3. Lake Guntersville, Alabama 4. Lake Erie, Michigan/Ohio/New York/Pennsylvania 5. Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont 6. Lake Amistad, Texas 7. Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota 8. San Joaquin Delta, California 9. Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 10. Clear Lake, California 11. Rainy Lake, Minnesota 12. Pickwick Lake, Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee 13. Lake St. Clair, Michigan 14. Oneida Lake, New York 15. Toledo Bend, Texas/Louisiana 16. Kentucky Lake/Barkley Lake, Kentucky/Tennessee 17. Grand Lake, Oklahoma 18. Kezar Lake, Maine 19. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas 20. Columbia River, Washington/Oregon 21. Kissimmee Chain Of Lakes, Florida 22. Candlewood Lake, Connecticut 23. Santee Cooper lakes, South Carolina 24. Roosevelt Lake, Arizona 25. Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin 26. Lake Fork, Texas 27. Louisiana Delta, Louisiana 28. Lake Ouachita, Arkansas 29. Lake Konawa, Oklahoma 30. Lake Of The Ozarks, Missouri 31. Potomac River, Maryland/Virginia 32. Shasta Lake, California 33. Lake Havasu, Arizona 34. Lake Michigan, Wisconsin/Illinois/Indiana/Michigan 35. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota 36. Florida Everglades, Florida 37. Lake Charlevoix, Michigan 38. Lake Mead, Nevada 39. Choke Canyon Lake, Texas 40. Lake Seminole, Georgia/Florida 41. Congamond Lakes, Massachusetts 42. Table Rock Lake, Missouri 43. Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire 44. Falls Lake, North Carolina 45. Umpqua River, Oregon 46. Okoboji Lake, Iowa 47. Red River, Louisiana 48. Pueblo Reservoir, Colorado 49. DeGray Lake, Arkansas 50. Trap Pond, Delaware 51. Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas/Missouri 52. Spirit Lake, Iowa 53. St. Lawrence River, New York 54. Squam Lake, New Hampshire 55. High Rock Lake, North Carolina 56. Arbuckle Lake, Oklahoma 57. Lake Tarpon, Florida 58. Apache Lake, Arizona 59. Lake Powell, Utah/Arizona 60. Perry Reservoir, Kansas 61. Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee 62. Lake Wawasee, Indiana 63. Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia 64. Lake Conroe, Texas 65. Noxon Rapids, Montana 66. Diamond Valley Lake, California 67. Summit Reservoir, Nebraska 68. Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey 69. Rend Lake, Illinois 70. Lake Pleasant, Arizona 71. Lake Audubon, North Dakota 72. Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming 73. Harris Chain Of Lakes, Florida 74. Cobbosseecontee Lake, Maine 75. Ute Lake, New Mexico 76. Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania 77. Wilson Reservoir, Kansas 78. Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico 79. Lake Oahe, South Dakota 80. Gull Lake, Minnesota 81. Kerr Reservoir/Buggs Island, N.C./Virginia 82. Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee/Kentucky 83. Lake Gaston, North Carolina 84. Bullards Bar Reservoir, California 85. Dworshak Reservoir, Idaho 86. Tygart Lake, West Virginia 87. Keith Sebelius Reservoir, Kansas 88. O.H. Ivie, Texas 89. Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania 90. Lake Murray, South Carolina 91. Lake Sammamish, Washington 92. Lake Eufaula, Alabama/Georgia 93. Enid Reservoir, Mississippi 94. Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee 95. Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana 96. Manasquan Reservoir, New Jersey 97. Lake Mohave, Nevada 98. Lake Lanier, Georgia 99. Sebago Lake, Maine 100. McPhee Lake, Colorado
Falcon Lake, Texas
Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Lake Guntersville, Alabama About B.A.S.S. For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications - Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times - comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Cabela's B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.
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