On the Inside Bassmaster podcast hosted by Ronnie Moore and Kyle Jessie, EQ angler Matt Pangrac described the Canadian River impoundment as one of the best tournament lakes in his home state. Elite Series pro and Coalgate, Okla. native Luke Palmer agrees. 

“It is a neat lake because it can be won out of any section of the lake,” the 2023 Santee Cooper Lakes Elite champion said. “It is just a good fishery. It has a lot of 2 1/2- to 3-pound bass in it. An angler can do what he wants. It has a little bit of everything. You can run 35 or 40 miles one way or you can stay close. You will have a variety of water colors, too.”

The midlake region, around Nichol’s Point, gets a lot of attention during tournaments as well as the Longtown area and the bays close to the dam like Brooken Cove. Bass are spread out all over the system, however. 

Largemouth are the predominant player in bass tournaments at Lake Eufaula, but there are healthy populations of spotted bass as well as smallmouth, although the brown fish don’t show up quite as often as they used to. 

Towards the dam and in the midlake region, the water is stained to clear. Moving up the river and the backs of the many creeks, the water becomes more stained and dirty. Rock is the predominant cover for bass in the system and there is some standing timber and laydowns as well. 

When the water is up, the shallow water fishing can turn from good to great as the bass flood the numerous bushes that line the bank. There is no shortage of forage for the bass in the reservoir, particularly with the tremendous threadfin and gizzard shad population. 

If bass fishing isn’t at the top of the priorities, fishing in general on Eufaula is phenomenal. White bass, crappie, bream and catfish all swim in the massive lake and Opens anglers reported having plenty of multi-species catches. 

Talking to some of the locals, late spring and then the fall season are two of the best times to fish Lake Eufaula, but bass fishing is generally good most of the year. Particularly in the spring, keep an eye on the sky and the forecast to make sure you don’t get caught in strong winds. Lake Eufaula can get wavy in a hurry with the right wind direction and storms in that region should not be taken lightly. 

Lay of the lake: Located south of Tulsa and east of Oklahoma City, Lake Eufaula spread over 105,000 acres through eastern Oklahoma. With the City of Eufaula at the center of the lake, anglers have 600 miles of shoreline to spread out and find the section of lake they enjoy the best.

Trivia: Lake Eufaula, at one point, held the state record smallmouth bass. That bass weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was caught by Steve McLarty on March 4, 2006. While not as prominent as they used to be, big smallmouth still roam the vast fishery.

Where to stay: There are plenty of campgrounds surrounding the lake including Crowder Point Family Campground, Elm Point Lake Recreation, tent & RV camping, & fishing, Arrowhead State Park, American Cabins On Lake Eufaula, Porum Landing Recreation Area

Marinas and ramps: Popular boat ramps include Nichol’s Point, Xtreme Cove Marina, Belle Starr Marina, Indian Springs Boat Ramp, Carlton Landing Boat Dock

Good eats: In Eufaula, Hangin’ 8 BBQ is a great place to stop for a bite to eat. If you are staying further South, Pete’s Place is a great Italian restaurant, just make sure you arrive with a totally empty stomach. 

Miles and miles of flooded standing timber are the trademark of Toledo Bend. So much standing timber, in fact, that boat lanes zig zag across the lake to help boaters navigate the lake safely. There are sweet spots in that standing timber that will hold numbers and quality of bass. Up shallow, there are cypress trees and clay banks the bass love to use to eat threadfin and gizzard shad. When the water is high, buck brush and bushes come into play in a big way, particularly in the springtime when the bass are wanting to spawn. 

Depending on the spring rains, sight fishing can be the ticket to catching a personal best when the bass are on their beds.

Vegetation is also making a comeback in Toledo Bend, with hydrilla being the key ingredient. 

“The hydrilla is really back in the lake this year, and when the hydrilla flourishes, it is amazing. The lake is doing well and there are a lot of big, big fish,” Bassmaster Elite Series pro and Toledo Bend native Darold Gleason said.

Although plenty of spotted bass called Toledo Bend home, the lunker largemouth are what make Toledo Bend such a destination fishery. But bass fishing isn’t the only standout species in the lake. The crappie population is excellent on Toledo Bend, and there are several guide services that help anglers get on these types of fish. 

While there’s a good chance anglers can catch a behemoth bass in any section of the lake, Toledo Bend has several hot spot areas. Indian Mounds and Housen Bay see plenty of boats every day of the week as well as the creeks and bays close to the Pendleton Bridge. 

There is never a bad time of year to fish Toledo Bend, but February through May provides opportunities to fish both offshore and shallow while also allowing anglers to fish all day in comfortable conditions. Just keep an eye on the wind and storm forecast. Toledo Bend can be unforgiving when the wind kicks up and severe storms roll in. 

Lay of the lake: Just southwest of Shreveport, La., Toledo Bend Reservoir stretches 65 miles on the Sabine River, with waters in both Texas and Louisiana. The massive reservoir covers around 185,000 acres and is a hot spot for freshwater enthusiasts from both states. Many, La., and the Sabine Parish Tourist & Recreation Commission host major tournaments at Cypress Bend Park, with the St. Croix Rods Bassmaster Open stopping there this year.

Trivia: Similar to the Toyota ShareLunker program in Texas, Toledo Bend has its own Lunker Bass Program. To be entered into the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program, anglers must catch a bass of more than 10 pounds. As of April 18, 2023, 53 largemouth have been entered into that program since May of 2022. 

Where to stay: Campgrounds are aplenty around the shores of Toledo Bend as well as several hotels like Wildwood Resort and Cypress Bend Resort. 

Marinas and ramps: Popular boat ramps on Toledo Bend include Cypress Bend Park, Big Bass Marina, North Toledo Bend State Park, San Miguel Park Boat Ramp and Harbor Light Marina.

Good eats: El Patio Mexican restaurant is just up the road from Cypress Bend Park and has an excellent variety that will keep visitors coming back for more.

That means Wheeler gets less fishing pressure than its neighbors, beckoning the call of anglers seeking the same. The even better news is that Wheeler has many of the same bass-attracting qualities of its better-known neighbors, namely ledges, flats and bars lining and connecting to the Tennessee River channel. Find largemouth stacked up on the ledges during summer, before they migrate into creek channels and bays to spawn. 

Probably nowhere else does that socially-driven bass fishing phenomenon occur on the Tennessee River than an area known as the Decatur Flats, covering a section of Wheeler from the Interstate 65 bridge to near TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. During its early 2000’s heyday, aquatic vegetation flourished on the expansive flat running through the middle of the river channel. Call it a mega-ledge that defines the river’s legendary summertime ledge fishing, with grass, baitfish, mussel beds and adjacent creek channels for spawning. The Decatur Flats had it all. Today, the vegetation is mostly gone, but all the other necessary ingredients are still there, along with the usual crowd of boats and anglers, all vying for the specific sweet spots that attract quality largemouth. 

On the Tennessee River, current generation is the leading cause of success for summertime bass fishing. The river is a continuous series of locks and dams designed for commerce and power generation, with the latter operation creating the ideal (or not) conditions for bass anglers. Baitfish movement caused by current stimulates feeding opportunities, as the bass stage behind underwater current breaks function as ambush points. Without TVA-generated current, they suspend and scatter about the ledges, tough to pattern during the downtime. That means taking into consideration the tailwater generation of the dam at the uppermost end, and equating that to the current flowing into the next lake below.

For visiting anglers, Wheeler is best broken down into four sections, beginning with the tailrace below Guntersville Dam. As Tennessee River tailraces, this one is smaller and very dependent on the water release schedule. Second is a riverine stretch that extends to the Interstate 65 bridge at Decatur. The banks provide current breaks with isolated rock and wood, while there are backwaters, including the fishable section of Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Next is the Decatur Flats and lastly is the Elk River, with a long, meandering channel with shoreline laydowns and other key spawning transition areas. 

Lay of the lake: Wheeler is the second of four northern Alabama impoundments on the Tennessee River. In order those are Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick lakes. Wheeler runs 60 miles and fills 69,700-acres between Guntersville and Wheeler dam. Its key tributary is the Elk River, flowing into the north shore from southern middle Tennessee. 

Trivia: B.A.S.S. legend Tommy Martin won the 1974 Bassmaster Classic on Wheeler Lake, with a three-day total of 33 pounds 7 ounces.

Where to stay: Joe Wheeler State Park, on the lower end, has a resort lodge, full-service restaurant and marina, and campground. You’ll also find boat-trailer friendly hotels in Decatur. 

Marinas and ramps: Ingalls Harbor is a tournament-designed venue with a 10-lane simultaneous launch ramp, and 158 truck and trailer parking spaces with additional parking for 107 cars. A 1,088-linear-foot floating dock is located at the ramp. Adjacent space is available for weigh-ins. There’s a special events pavilion and Hilton Home2 Suites on the property. 

Good eats: Big Bob Gibson’s 

What makes Seminole so good is the diversity of aquatic plants, vegetation and a nutrient rich water supply fed by the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers, and Spring Creek. As a bonus, Seminole also supports what could be the best shoal bass fishing in the nation.

Water clarity varies with all three tributaries, with the Chattahoochee running the dingiest, with the Flint running clearer and Spring Creek being the clearest on the scale. 

With Seminole divided into those three areas, the Chattahoochee more resembles more riverine than the two other arms. The Flint opens up like a typical lowland impoundment, with creek channels, bays and backwater areas, making it the most popular arm on the lake.

Largemouth relate to standing timber and shallow flats on the river and creek channels, with sandbars and backwater areas favorable throughout the spawning cycle. Above all else, and for obvious reasons, the largemouth relate to vegetation no matter where it thrives on the lake. Match it up with wood, docks, and feeding and spawning flats and you will find success. 

Lay of the lake: Three tributaries form the lake. The Chattahoochee forms the western arm, Spring Creek in the middle with the east arm formed by the Flint River. Seminole contains 37,000 acres, with a shoreline covering 376 miles. 

Trivia: Of the Flint Rivers 344-mile run, the section above Seminole is a hotbed for shoal bass, with fish caught in the four- to six-pound range. It’s not uncommon for winning tournament catches to be buoyed by hefty shoal bass, especially in fall. 

Where to stay: At Ease Marina and Campground is on the former location of legendary Wingate’s Lunker Lodge, where Ray Scott held his early B.A.S.S. tournaments dating back to 1968. The owners are preserving the look and feel of the original property, including early B.A.S.S. memorabilia. At Ease has waterfront cabins and motel units, RV and tent sites. 

Fifty years after Ray Scott held the first official B.A.S.S. event on Lake Seminole, the Bassmaster Elite Series returned on the same dates in February 2023 to revalidate why the legendary fishery is still thriving. The winning weight after four days was 85 pounds, 2 ounces, laying testimony that “Ol Sem” is alive and kicking. In fact, Georgia fisheries officials claim it’s the best bass lake in the state. 

What makes Seminole so good is the diversity of aquatic plants, vegetation and a nutrient rich water supply fed by the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers, and Spring Creek. As a bonus, Seminole also supports what could be the best shoal bass fishing in the nation.

Water clarity varies with all three tributaries, with the Chattahoochee running the dingiest, with the Flint running clearer and Spring Creek being the clearest on the scale. 

With Seminole divided into those three areas, the Chattahoochee more resembles more riverine than the two other arms. The Flint opens up like a typical lowland impoundment, with creek channels, bays and backwater areas, making it the most popular arm on the lake.

Largemouth relate to standing timber and shallow flats on the river and creek channels, with sandbars and backwater areas favorable throughout the spawning cycle. Above all else, and for obvious reasons, the largemouth relate to vegetation no matter where it thrives on the lake. Match it up with wood, docks, and feeding and spawning flats and you will find success. 

Lay of the lake: Three tributaries form the lake. The Chattahoochee forms the western arm, Spring Creek in the middle with the east arm formed by the Flint River. Seminole contains 37,000 acres, with a shoreline covering 376 miles. 

Trivia: Of the Flint Rivers 344-mile run, the section above Seminole is a hotbed for shoal bass, with fish caught in the four- to six-pound range. It’s not uncommon for winning tournament catches to be buoyed by hefty shoal bass, especially in fall. 

Where to stay: At Ease Marina and Campground is on the former location of legendary Wingate’s Lunker Lodge, where Ray Scott held his early B.A.S.S. tournaments dating back to 1968. The owners are preserving the look and feel of the original property, including early B.A.S.S. memorabilia. At Ease has waterfront cabins and motel units, RV and tent sites. 

The “Big O” continues to survive and thrive, in spite of various environmental challenges to its ecosystem. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Scott Martin, who grew up and lives on Okeechobee, reported stunning results from a one-day tournament held there in May 2023. Twenty limits exceeding 30 pounds were caught. Martin and his daughter finished 23rrd with their limit weighing (just) 29 pounds. 

Lake Okeechobee’s sheer size can make it challenging to break down for a visiting angler. Consider these five areas that historically support consistent catches of largemouth. The key to all areas is water level. The lake is shallow, averaging only 9 feet, and only slight rises in the water level can spread the bass out across wide areas, also covering vertical habitat like sawgrass, reeds, and others. 

On the lower end is South Bay, known for its large fields of vegetation and reeds with hard bottoms that area ideal for bass fishing. On the west shore is the Monkey Box, historically one of the best areas on the lake, favored for its abundance of hard bottom that is ideal for spawning. Clearer water is another key draw of the Monkey Box, and plenty of vegetation, all of which make it aa top choice for sight fishing and targeting spawning largemouth. 

Harney Pond is another top choice, for its dense areas of hydrilla and related matted vegetation. Harney Pond is typically more protected from the wind, making it a go-to spot when windy conditions are in the forecast. 

The North Shore is another bass magnet, offering miles of cattails and areas that are protected from the north wind. The same applies to the Kissimmee River, where Elite pro Tyler Rivet spent four days capitalizing on areas of isolated vegetation along the channel, winning the tournament with 86 pounds, 15 ounces. 

Lay of the lake: The largest freshwater lake in the Southeast and third largest in the U.S., Okeechobee covers 734 square miles and is the heart of the central Everglades. 

Trivia: Californian Dave Gliebe won the 1977 Florida B.A.S.S. Invitational with 95 pounds, 3 ounces, beating runner-up Roland Martin by a remarkable 42 pounds. Gliebe won the tournament on a rogue West Coast technique called “flippin” so new to the east side of the country that he—and Dee Thomas, the inventor of the technique—won other tournaments by wide margins until flippin was covered in textbook fashion in Bassmaster.

Where to stay: The towns of Clewiston, on the south shore, and Okeechobee, on the north side, are ideally suited for bass fishermen, with boat-friendly hotels, locally owned well-stocked tackle stores and more. 

Good eats: Established in 1977, Lightsey’s Seafood Restaurant in Okeechobee sources it’s seafood from Lake Okeechobee and the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, and the evidence is in the seafood case iced down with the catches of the day. You can watch the fish monger fillet your dinner before it’s cooked to perfection, and then enjoy dining on the outdoor dining area.  

Largemouth are the predominant player on Buggs Island while the spotted bass population has increased over the last several years. Shad and bluegill are the predominant forage base for the bass while blueback herring also swim in the lake. For a break in the bass action, anglers can also target a prolific striper population.

Part of what makes Buggs Island such a good fishery, according to Opens Elite Qualifier angler Jack Dice, is how patternable the lake can be. 

“There’s a lot of fish in the lake and if you do anything long enough, you can get a bite,” Dice said. “This lake is (somewhat) a highland lake, so it is semi-conditional. To me, why I have loved this lake is, it rewards the angler that is open-minded and figures out what the bass are doing that day. They usually tell you. You can get a bite doing almost anything. This is one of the best pattern lakes in this area.” 

With that said, any and every section of the lake can produce tournament winning bags of bass on a given day. 

While there is plenty of deep, clear water on Buggs Island where anglers can fish points and humps, locals will tell you that the fishery goes from good to great when the water rises into the bushes and trees that line the banks. The upper section of the lake also provides some opportunity to fish stained water.

While the wintertime can be the best time to catch a really big bass, the mid to late spring when the bass, bream and shad are spawning provide great opportunities for numbers of fish as well as size.  

Lay of the lake: Just north of Raleigh, Buggs Island runs west to east along the North Carolina and Virginia border. The 50,000 acre impoundment on the Roanoke River provides over 800 miles of shoreline for anglers to cover. Clarksville, Va. hosted the St. Croix Bassmaster Open and is a popular place for tournaments to launch from any time of year. 

Trivia: Before the 2023 Open, the Bassmaster tournament trail had not visited Buggs Island since the 1998 Virginia Invitational. That tournament was won by George Cochran with 41 pounds, 6 ounces.

Where to stay: Campgrounds are plenty around the shores of Buggs Island and there are several different hotels in the city of Clarksville. For a beautiful stay and a trip through history, Cooper’s Landing Inn & Traveler’s Tavern is a unique experience.

Marinas and ramps: Popular boat ramps on Buggs Island include Staunton River State Park, Bluestone Boat Ramp, Occoneechee Boat Ramp at Kerr Lake, Eagle Point Boat Ramp and Henderson Point Boat Ramp. 

Good eats: After a long day on the water, you don’t have to go far from Clarksville for good food. Bridgewater Bar and Grill sits next to the lake and provides a variety of tasty options. 

In the early years of B.A.S.S., Lake Eufaula was rightfully known as the “Bass Fishing Capital of the World.” In the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning weights exceeded 100 pounds for four events, keeping in mind the rules were based on 15-bass daily limits. And B.A.S.S. kept coming back, with 18 national tour events held through 2023. 

History aside, what keeps anglers and tournaments coming back to Eufaula is the topography and habitat that is most favorable for perennial recruit of bass, along with a strong forage base.

Largemouth spend their summers on the cooler, current-driven ledges of the main river channel. Connected to that are well-defined creek channels with primary and secondary points where the bass stage prior to the spawning cycle. From there, the bass migrate along the creek channels, staging along the way on isolated brushpiles (many strategically placed by anglers), as they finally transition to textbook spawning flats, which are defining characteristics of this lowland reservoir.

The attraction to Eufaula for visiting anglers is twofold. You stand to catch a trophy largemouth, and you can bring your favored style of angling here and expect to be successful. 

The good news is the spawning cycle is prolonged here, so there is plenty of time to take full advantage of what makes Eufaula so special for the bass fishing. The trigger point for the spawning cycle happens when the water temperature reaches 60 degrees. Depending on the length of winter — and early spring cold fronts — the complete spawning cycle can run from March through May, when the bass move back out to deeper water. Even then, the fishing is productive for suspended bass in timber and deeper brushpiles, as an alternative to the crowded ledges where the bass concentrate in well-known, specific areas. 

In summer when the vegetation reaches maturity, you can enjoy topwater frog fishing in shallow water, or catch bass on grass edges with big spinnerbaits or Texas-rigged soft plastics. In spring, bring a Carolina rig to cover water and intercept migrating largemouth transitioning to the spawning areas. 

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Eufaula is considered the second-best bass fishing lake in the state, behind Lake Seminole, also on the Chattahoochee River and to the south. 

That makes planning a trip to Eufaula worthwhile, while knowing B.A.S.S. fishing history was made here. The Humminbird depth finder was invented here by fishing legend and Eufaula native Tom Mann, who also invented the Little George tailspinner and the famous Mann’s Jelly Worm, among many other soft and hard plastic lures. 

Lay of the lake: Impounded by the Chattahoochee River, Lake Eufaula is 45,181 surface acres, extending north about 85 miles from the Walter F. George Lock and Dam. 

Trivia: In 1968, the year B.A.S.S. was founded by Ray Scott, the organization’s first tournament was held at Eufaula. John Powell won the 1968 Eufaula National with 132 pounds in three days during June. The daily limit back then was 15 bass. 

Where to stay: Lakepoint State Park has a full-service marina, lodge with a hotel and a restaurant, lakeside cottages and cabins designed for fishermen. The park has a campground with 192 campsites. 

Good eats: A local favorite since 1991 is Phil’s BBQ, proclaiming its reputation for “The Best Butts In Alabama,” for its pork shoulder cuts of meat. The menu also features smoked ribs, chicken and turkey and homemade cakes.

The history of the Harris Chain runs way back, but according to Bassmaster Opens pro Bobby Lane, the fisheries didn’t see the giant fish they have now until the grass really started to grow throughout the lakes.

“Harris Chain used to not have any grass in it at all,” Lane said. “We would go fish tournaments there, and it would only take 16 or 17 pounds to win. Sometimes if you just caught a limit you would be in the top 10. But then the grass took over the lake and the fish that used to be a pound and a half grew up to be 3 pounds. And the 4- and 5-pounders grew up to be 8- and 9-pounders.

“The key to the big bass was the amount of bait in the lake. When there is a lot of grass in the lake, the bait seems to thrive, and in return, the bass get bigger.”

The neat part is that each lake on the chain offers something different for anglers to fish. 

“What is so cool about the Harris Chain is you can kind of pick your poison,” said Buddy Gross who won the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series event at the Harris Chain. “You’ve got Lake Griffin which is a lot like Lake Okeechobee because it offers reeds, pencil reeds, hydrilla, lily pads, eelgrass and then the marsh there. But on the other hand, you have Lake Harris, Eustis, Dora and Beauclair that have hard bottoms, Kissimmee grass, shellbeds and sporadic hydrilla.”

Not only do the lakes offer an incredible opportunity for different styles of fishing, but they also feature giant Florida-strain largemouth. In January of 2022, Matt and Lafe Messer broke the single-day weight record on the Bassmaster College Series when they caught a five-bass limit that weighed 36 pounds, 7 ounces.

Lay of the Lake: The eight lakes that make up the Harris Chain of Lakes provide 75,000 plus acres of water. The lakes are located just northwest of Orlando and depending on where you are staying you can be in the town of Orlando in less than 45 minutes. Leesburg, Fla. has served as host to multiple Bassmaster tournaments over the years and will serve as host to the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series event on Harris Chain this year.

Trivia: Harris Chain also holds the record for the single heaviest one-day bag weighed in Bassmaster Opens competition caught by Whitney Stephens that weighed 32 pounds, 12 ounces in 2019.

Where to stay: You can find plenty of hotels with boat-friendly parking and electricity hookups in the town of Leesburg which is less than 20 minutes from multiple boat ramps.

Good eats: Gator Bay Bar and Grill located in the Lake Griffin Canal is accessible by boat and offers great bar-type food. My personal favorite is the Swamp Seasoned Gator Bites from the appetizer menu.