National Top 10 Lakes from the Northeastern Division
1. St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands), New York
2. Lake St. Clair, Michigan
3. Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, New York
4. Lake Erie, Ohio [30-mile radius of Sandusky] The copious islands, reefs and rockpiles in Erie’s western basin provide an ideal habitat for smallmouth bass. The Lake Erie Bass Challenge, sponsored by Clemons Boats in Sandusky, Ohio, hosts five qualifying tournaments and a championship here. Thirty-two teams in mid-April 2023 fished one of these events. A five-bass limit weighing 24.91 took top honors, with the top 19 teams weighing in over 20 pounds. The top 27 teams all sacked over 18 pounds, with the big bass going 6.03.
[17,120 acres and 16,630 acres, respectively] These connected waterways consistently grow some of Michigan’s biggest smallmouth bass, including brutes that weigh in excess of 7 pounds. A superb annual survey compiled by Michigan fisheries biologist Tomas Goniea provides tantalizing details. Four tournaments here in 2023 averaged 62.5 anglers per event. Smallmouth comprised 91.3% of the catch. The average weight of the 624 bass caught was 3.78 pounds. Over half
