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Smallmouth Bass Native

🔬 Micropterus dolomieu

Hard-fighting fish preferring rocky bottoms and clear water.

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🏆 Michigan record 9 lbs 4 oz ·Charles Hough III ·Long Lake ·Lapeer County ·2018 All records →
Bite this month
Excellent
📅
Best season
Spring, Fall
📏
Keeper size
14" at ~4 yrs
📋
Regulations
14" min · limit 5

🌊 Where to Catch Smallmouth Bass in Michigan

Lake County Population
Arbutus Lake
510 acres
 Grand Traverse Excellent
Bear Lake
3,350 acres
 Manistee Excellent
Burt Lake
17,120 acres
 Cheboygan Excellent
Charlevoix Lake
17,260 acres
 Charlevoix Excellent
Crooked Lake
650 acres
 Emmet Excellent
Crystal Lake
9,854 acres
 Benzie Excellent
Douglas Lake
3,400 acres
 Cheboygan Excellent
Elk Lake
7,793 acres
 Antrim Excellent
Elk Lake
7,793 acres
 Antrim Excellent
Fletcher Pond
8,600 acres
 Montmorency Excellent
Glen Lake
4,944 acres
 Leelanau Excellent
Gun Lake
665 acres
 Allegan Excellent
Hardy Pond
4,025 acres
 Newaygo Excellent
Higgins Lake
9,600 acres
 Roscommon Excellent
Intermediate Lake
682 acres
 Antrim Excellent
Lake Leelanau
8,562 acres
 Leelanau Excellent
Lake Leelanau North
3,520 acres
 Leelanau Excellent
Lake St. Clair
260,000 acres
 Macomb Excellent
Long Lake
1,410 acres
 Grand Traverse Excellent
Mullett Lake
16,630 acres
 Cheboygan Excellent

🛡 Smallmouth Bass Conservation Status

Native Smallmouth Bass is native to Michigan waters. Common in clear, rocky lakes statewide. Numbers are strong in northern Michigan. Michigan requires a minimum length of 14" to keep. The daily bag limit is 5.
Smallmouth Bass

🌿 Smallmouth Bass Habitat & Behavior

Clear, rocky lakes and rivers. Prefers gravel and rock structure. More common in northern Michigan. DNR records show Smallmouth Bass present in 439 Michigan water bodies. Highest stocking activity on record is in Schoolcraft, Cheboygan and Alger counties. Bite activity rates Good or better in Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov.

🎣 Best Smallmouth Bass Techniques

Tubes, drop shot, jigs near rocky points

🪱 Best Smallmouth Bass Baits

Crayfish, tubes, drop-shot rigs, hair jigs, topwater poppers

📋 Smallmouth Bass Fishing Regulations in Michigan

14"
Minimum size
5
Daily limit
10
Possession limit
Year-round (catch-and-release Jan 1–last Sat in April on many inland lakes)
Season

Same regulations as Largemouth Bass on most inland waters. Great Lakes: no minimum size, 5/day.

⚠️ Regulations shown are general statewide guidelines for 2025. Rules vary by water body and change annually. Always verify current regulations in the official Michigan DNR Fishing Guide before you fish.

📈 Michigan DNR Smallmouth Bass Stocking Records



📋 Smallmouth Bass Stocking Events by Lake

Date Lake County Quantity Size
13 more recent stocking events available with Fishing Pro
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May 28, 2014 Dutch Fred Lake Schoolcraft 50 11.7"
May 28, 2014 Lavender Lake Alger 18 11.8"
May 27, 2014 Moccasin Lake Alger 146 11.8"
May 27, 2014 Lavender Lake Alger 54 11.8"
Oct 25, 2012 Evans Lake 25 4.0"
Oct 25, 2012 Lake Thirteen 200 4.4"
Oct 24, 2012 Rainbow Lake 1,500 6.0"
Oct 17, 2012 Budd Lake Clare 2,000 3.4"
Oct 17, 2012 Budd Lake Clare 2,000 3.4"
Oct 12, 2012 Croswell Impoundment 383 5.0"
Aug 23, 2012 Tourist Park Marquette 94 12.0"
Aug 15, 2012 Tourist Park Marquette 85 9.0"

Most valuable for Smallmouth Bass anglers
See where Smallmouth Bass will be stocked next
Full stocking history across all 99 lakes, plus a forecast of which waters are due for restocking this season.
Fishing Pro — $4.99/mo

237
Historical stocking events
99
Lakes stocked
Oct
Next likely stocking window
Peak Stocking Months
Jul Aug Oct
Top Stocked Lakes
See the top 5 lakes most likely to be stocked with Smallmouth Bass next season. Unlock with Fishing Pro

Forecast based on historical DNR stocking patterns. Not a guarantee of future stocking. Verify with the Michigan DNR.



🎯 Estimated Mature Smallmouth Bass — September

🎯
See Which Lakes Have Mature Smallmouth Bass Right Now
Based on DNR stocking records from 2021–2023, we estimate which Michigan lakes likely hold Smallmouth Bass at keeper size (14") today.
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📋 Quick Smallmouth Bass Facts

📈 Growth Timeline

🔗 Resources

🐟 All Fish Species 🎣 MDNR Sport Fishing 🔬 MDNR Fish ID Guide 🪪 Buy a Michigan Fishing License 🎣 Log a catch

📅 Best Times to Fish Smallmouth Bass



💡 Angler Tips for Smallmouth Bass

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