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Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass are native to the Mississippi River system in Minnesota but have been widely introduced throughout the state, now occurring in all major drainages including the Red and Rainy river systems.

They're especially abundant in the upper Mississippi and St. Croix rivers and their larger tributaries. These bronze-backed fighters are considered warm-water species.

Scientific Name: Micropterus dolomieui

Physical Characteristics:
  • Bronze-backed fighters.
  • Minnesota's smallmouth typically reach 12+ inches with many 2-4 pound fish caught regularly, and the state record is 8 pounds from West Battle Lake in Otter Tail County.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Prefer clear, strong-flowing streams and rivers, and medium-sized clear lakes with gravel or boulder shores.
  • Now occurring in all major drainages including the Red and Rainy river systems.

Key Locations

  • Prime waters include Lake Minnetonka, Mille Lacs Lake, Leech Lake, Rainy Lake, the Mississippi River pools, Green Lake, and Lake Vermilion.
  • Key locations include Mississippi River pools, Lake Mille Lacs rocky shorelines, Lake Minnetonka's connected bays, and the clearer tributaries of major river systems.

Specific Spots

  • Gravel flats and rocky shorelines, first deep water associated with gravel or mud flats, rocky humps and structure, long points and shallow areas, areas near logs or boulders.

Smallmouth Bass FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Smallmouth Bass in Minnesota?

3/8 oz hair jigs in black or brown with 4-inch worm trailers, Fire-Ball jigs with minnows, Impulse Smelt Minnows, topwater lures like Zara Spooks and Rapala F7 minnows.

What flies work for Smallmouth Bass in Minnesota?

Clouser Minnows in chartreuse/white patterns, Bob Clouser's Meat Whistle patterns in rusty brown for crayfish imitation, white woolly buggers fished weightless, black conehead bunny muddlers for leech imitation, and poppers for topwater action.

When is the best time to fish for Smallmouth Bass in Minnesota?

The season opens mid-May but remains catch-and-release only until late May, then allows harvest until early September when it returns to catch-and-release through February. Early season (late May-June) finds them in shallows around spawning areas. Summer fishing requires deeper presentations.

How do you catch Smallmouth Bass in Minnesota?

Early season fishing on gravel flats and rocky shorelines in 10-25 feet of water. Target the first deep water associated with gravel or mud flats. Summer fishing requires deeper presentations with split-shot rigs, drop-shot rigs in 15-40+ feet around rocky humps and structure.

What do Smallmouth Bass eat?

They're opportunistic carnivores with crayfish making up 60-90% of their diet when available, though they also consume sculpins, darters, minnows, aquatic insects (especially hellgrammites, mayflies, and dragonflies), crayfish, and terrestrial insects that fall in the water.

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