5 Best Towns for Bass Fishing Everyone Should Visit

When you look up fishing content to help you improve your experience, you probably see a lot of stuff on lures, tactics, fishing gear, and impressive feats, but every angler knows that a big part of fishing has nothing to do with any of that. 

The environment you’re in is just as memorable and enjoyable as catching a bunch of bass. 

Today, we’re going to look at five of the best towns in the US for bass fishing and the fisheries they’re associated with.

Our Criteria for the Best Bass Fishing Towns

Before we start listing towns, we should probably cover the things we’re looking at to determine what sets them apart.

First, it’s not just whether big bass are produced in a local fishery. It’s about much more than that. What natural beauty does the town, and its fishery have to offer? What is the local culture like? What types of fishing-relevant services are available to make your trip more special?

We’ll be considering each of those things and more throughout this list to provide you with five locations that provide an all-around amazing experience.

Let’s get started.

1: Dayton, Tennessee

Dayton, Tennessee, isn’t just one of the best towns for bass fishermen, according to us. Its nickname is the “Bass Fishing Capital of the South.” That might have something to do with the type of largemouth it stocks, too.

Chickamauga Lake is part of the Tennessee River, and it stretches for roughly 59 miles. That’s plenty of room for many anglers to find amazing spots without competing. It features stained water that is extremely clean, with a good mix of underwater structure and clear areas that are hard to get snagged in. 

Because it’s a reservoir created by the Chickamauga Dam, it also has plenty of manmade spots that are easy to access and a breeze to use whether you’re on a boat or fishing from the bank.

The deepest part of Chickamauga is 682 feet. It’s not the deepest in the world, but it’s certainly far deeper than most fisheries most anglers fish daily. However, its depth does fluctuate depending on dam activity nearby. It does usually stay above 600 feet at its highest point, though.

Don’t let the depth fool you, though. There are plenty of shallows to take advantage of.

Another great benefit of Chickamauga is that it’s not in the middle of nowhere. Around the southern tip of the lake, there’s a high population density community that ensures you can find a multitude of services.

This is important. If you’re traveling, you might need lodging during your visit or restaurant opportunities. There are also plenty of normal stores to restock gear if you forget something or lose something on the water, and you won’t have any problems finding a mechanic if you have car problems. 

It’s not as luxurious as some of the other places we’ll mention, but the surrounding community has everything you need in abundance as an out-of-town visitor.

Of course, this isn’t a travel guide. You’re looking for big bass, and Chickamauga happens to have lots of them.

Chickamauga stocks a Florida strain of largemouth, and they frequently get beyond 10 pounds. You won’t just catch dinks your entire trip, and if you’re the average angler, you’re likely to break your record. The lake’s management team also regularly shocks the lake to research fish sizes, and the number of large bass is growing rapidly.

Those big fish don’t just attract anglers, either. Since they regularly come out of the lake, organizations regularly hold fishing tournaments you might want to get in on.

Chickamauga offers a multitude of services to cover all your needs, the local community knows southern hospitality well, and the fishery is nearly guaranteed to give you some great catch-and-release photos.

One final detail to consider is that, while the southern tip has a larger urban community, it’s still a relatively low-cost-of-living area. So, it’s not as expensive to take a week-long vacation, get a hotel room or camping spot, and have a longer fishing trip. We recommend making Chickamauga an annual fishing destination, even if you live across the country.

2: Okeechobee

One of the most iconic bass lakes to visit and one of the best bass fishing lake in the US, is Lake Okeechobee.

Lake Okeechobee is one of the largest lakes in the United States, with more than 730 miles of surface area. As you can imagine massive size means it spans across several types of areas and provides a unique mix of fishing opportunities. 

It’s so large that the average bass angler probably wouldn’t be able to fish all of it in a lifetime.

You can find thick mats of vegetation and lily pad fields in abundance.  So, if you like fishing topwaters like buzzbaits and frogs, Okeechobee is a must visit lake for you.   

Natural beauty is important, but the bass are what we’re all here for, right? Well, if you remember from our Chickamauga section, that lake uses a strain of bass that originates from Florida. In their home territory, there are far more exceeding 10 pounds, and this is an amazing lake to beat your record at.

The quality of bass fishing is unmatched, but it’s also a rather quiet place to enjoy the sport. The nearby town of Okeechobee only has a population of 5000 people, and while it’s a small community, it has accommodations to make sure you can get your necessities. 

You also get to enjoy the small-town atmosphere while you’re driving through, and unlike a big city buzzing with activity and noise, it gets you into the mood for an enjoyable time out on the water.

Okeechobee could easily top any bass angler’s favorite city list, and it’s one you need to visit on your bass fishing journey.

3: Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, isn’t going to top the list of best bass fishing lakes in the entire country, but we’re looking at the total package, and it deserves a place on this list.

First, the Lake of the Ozarks is massive, and just the Missouri portion of the lake spans 10 miles. That sounds small, but the entire lake reaches across several states. We’re only highlighting the more developed area with a population center in Missouri.

In the Lake Ozark area, you’ll be treated to a breathtaking landscape with extremely clean water of varying depths. There are tons of channels, forested backdrops, isolated pools, and more to explore while you fish.

Speaking of fish, this is considered the best bass fishery in Missouri, and it draws in visitors from all over the nation for its fishing opportunities and the rest of what we’ll talk about, shortly.

One thing to consider is that, while the bass fishing is great, the lake also offers a wide variety of fish species to target. If you want to take some time to try something new, you can find plenty of fish species that aren’t very common outside of the Midwest.

However, it’s not just the beauty and high-quality bass fishing that makes us recommend it. The community that has built up around it is just as stunning. It has a very “tourist” vibe to it. Rentable cabins on the lakeside, fancy dining opportunities, recreational services, and more are all available.

This is a little pricy in comparison to other places in the same region, but you get a vacation-friendly spot that will surely impress your family, and they’ll beg to come back year after year while you enjoy a premium fishing experience.

There are also plenty of nearby small towns that are far more affordable to stay in if cost is a problem.

4: Clayton, New York

Clayton, New York, is a small area with a rural vibe in a state otherwise known for the Big Apple, and it just so happens to sit on the St. Lawrence River.

The river is Lake Ontario’s route into the Atlantic Ocean, and it is one of the best smallmouth fishing spots in the entire country.

The smallmouth bass can push record-breaking sizes frequently, and they spawn all along the sides of the river in the spring. So, bank fishermen can easily break their records regardless of where they are on the river. As it gets into the deeper parts of summer, they move out deep, and that’s when boat fishing shines.

Clayton has the same backdrop as an old country painting. The community is small and spread out, and while it’s not as fancy as a resort-like area, it’s peaceful. That limits the services and accommodation you can expect, but those aren’t necessary with a little planning.

Clayton is also about 5 hours from New York City. So, if you’re traveling to fish on vacation and have an extra couple of days, you can even squeeze in a trip to the Big Apple while you’re there.

One thing to consider is that this is a spot known for its smallmouth. If you like aggressive jumps and the massive size of largemouth bass, it’s not the place for you. They’re there, but they don’t get as big, and they’re not as common.

5: Quitman, Texas

Finally, we’re going to round this list off with a very small town right next to one of the most renowned lakes for bass fishing.

Quitman, Texas, is a tiny town with 2000 people and little in the way of accommodations. If you love small towns with a rural feel, you will love passing through Quitman. Even though it isn’t a massive place, it does have all the necessities, and you can easily plan an extended stay if you’re from out of town.

However, while the small-town hospitality and charm are amazing bonuses, that is not why Quitman is on this list. It’s right on the edge of Lake Fork.

Everything is bigger in Texas, and that goes for its bass, too. Texas is known for having some of the best bass fishing in the nation across the entire state. Unlike other states that have one or two notable spots, Texas is full of them.

Lake Fork still stands out as the best Texas has to offer. The state record of 18.8 pounds, which is just a few pounds shy of the world record, was set at Lake Fork in 1992. While that record is over 30 years old, bass get close to it every year, and plenty of anglers break their records here.

Lake Fork is also responsible for 65% of the records in Texas, and most of those records are larger than those placed in most other states. The bass fishing is phenomenal, the setting is purely natural with very few manmade interruptions, and the largest town nearby has 2000 people in it. This is essentially a bass angler’s dream with low pressure, big bass, and tons of natural beauty.

The only thing we can say that isn’t growing is that you’ll be far away from a population center. So, you do want to make sure you prepare yourself well to get by without some of the things you might be used to if you’re not from a rural environment.

Plan Your Next Vacation Around These Top Bass Fishing Towns

The 5 best towns and municipalities for bass fishing we’ve listed are guaranteed to provide you with an amazing fishing experience. Even if you get skunked one day, you’ll be in a beautiful area taking in the peacefulness around you. We’ve also covered places coast-to-coast. 

So, if you don’t live in one of these states, you can likely plan a vacation to one of these spots with less than a day of travel by car.

Of course, these places will likely be brand new to you, and we highly recommend checking out the BassForecast fishing app for in-depth maps of the water.