Lists that rank the subjective can incite passionate response. Last year, I learned this the hard way when Bassmaster Magazine released its inaugural ranking of bass fisheries from across the nation. One reader thanked the Magazine for producing his lifetime bucket list, while another said it was the biggest waste of space he had ever seen. One reader said we ranked Bull Shoals way too low at 51; another said the lake didn’t deserve to be on the list. The debates seemed endless and went on for months, which made me think that the concept of ranking America’s best bass fisheries was a solid one.

Last year, we developed the list by asking every state’s Department of Natural Resources (sometimes it was the wildlife agency) to give us catch rates, population studies and stocking schedules for all the fisheries they managed. From there, we sent the list to B.A.S.S. Nation presidents and conservation directors to rank each of these bodies of water based on the tournaments they held. And then we had a panel of Elite Series pros, outdoor writers and industry professionals finalize the lakes list and rankings.

This process made last year’s list solid, but not bulletproof. This year, we added another very important step to the ranking system: you!

We sent the list created by the DNR data to not only the B.A.S.S. Nation leadership, but also 3,500 B.A.S.S. members throughout the U.S., as well. We asked these avid anglers to tell us which fisheries should be deleted and which lakes should be added to the list, and then to rank the lakes in their respective regions. The response was unbelievable, and the data collected helped legitimize the ranking of each body of water.

You will see that some lakes fell off the list completely (the drought in Texas removed O.H. Ivie), some are new (welcome California’s Lake Berryessa) and some giants fell considerably (Falcon was No. 1 last year but barely made the Top 10 this year). So, feast your eyes on the most productive bass fisheries our nation has to offer this year. Hopefully, you will be inspired to fish one in the near future and put our rankings to the test. If you do, let us hear about it, especially if your response is passionate.

Bassmaster Magazine's 100 Best Bass Lakes

1. Lake St. Clair, Michigan
2. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas
3. Clear Lake, California
4. Lake Guntersville, Alabama
5. Lake Erie, Michigan/Ohio/New York/Pennsylvania
6. Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
7. Falcon Lake, Texas
8. Lake Okeechobee, Florida
9. San Joaquin Delta, California
10. Toledo Bend Reservoir, Texas/Louisiana
11. Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
12. Kentucky Lake/Barkley Lake, Kentucky/Tennessee
13. Thousand Islands, New York
14. Rodman Reservoir/St. Johns River, Florida
15. Grand Lake ‘O The Cherokees, Oklahoma
16. Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont
17. Upper Mississippi River, Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa/Illinois
18. Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas/Missouri
19. Potomac River, Maryland/Virginia
20. Pickwick Lake, Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee
21. Columbia River, Washington/Oregon
22. Kissimmee Chain Of Lakes, Florida
23. Lake Amistad, Texas
24. Lake Oroville, California
25. Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
26. Dworshak Reservoir, Idaho
27. Candlewood Lake, Connecticut
28. Lake Fork, Texas
29. Lake Michigan, Wisconsin/Illinois/Indiana/Michigan
30. Cobbosseecontee Lake, Maine
31. Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
32. Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota
33. Shasta Lake, California
34. Lake Austin, Texas
35. New River, West Virginia
36. Rainy Lake, Minnesota
37. Bullards Bar Reservoir, California
38. Oneida Lake, New York
39. Table Rock Lake, Missouri
40. Lake Charlevoix, Michigan
41. Lake Eufaula, Alabama/Georgia
42. Lake of the Arbuckles, Oklahoma
43. Lake Lanier, Georgia
44. Lake Powell, Utah/Arizona
45. Lake Ouachita, Arkansas
46. Lake Havasu, Arizona
47. Lake Istokpoga, Florida
48. Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina
49. Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire
50. Summit Reservoir, Nebraska
51. Lake Sammamish, Washington
52. Florida Everglades, Florida
53. Lake Berryessa, California
54. Kezar Lake, Maine
55. Lake Oahe, South Dakota
56. Douglas Lake, Tennessee
57. Okoboji Lake, Iowa
58. Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
59. Louisiana Delta, Louisiana
60. Lake Seminole, Georgia/Florida
61. Apache Lake, Arizona
62. Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin
63. Sebago Lake, Maine
64. Lake Mead, Nevada
65. Lake Gaston, North Carolina
66. Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
67. Spirit Lake, Iowa
68. Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee/Kentucky
69. Lake Tarpon, Florida
70. Lake Konawa, Oklahoma
71. Rend Lake, Illinois
72. Lake Conroe, Texas
73. Falls Lake, North Carolina
74. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota
75. Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana
76. Squam Lake, New Hampshire
77. Lake Anna, Virginia
78. Lake Murray, South Carolina
79. Red River, Louisiana
80. High Rock Lake, North Carolina
81. Burt Lake, Michigan
82. Pueblo Reservoir, Colorado
83. Kerr Reservoir/Buggs Island, North Carolina/Virginia
84. Perry Reservoir, Kansas
85. Lake Mohave, Nevada
86. Wilson Reservoir, Kansas
87. Lake Audubon, North Dakota
88. Navajo Lake, New Mexico
89. Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania
90. Lake Dunlap, Texas
91. Lake Norman, North Carolina
92. Lake Wawasee, Indiana
93. Manasquan Reservoir, New Jersey
94. Lay Lake, Alabama
95. Webster Lake, Massachusetts
96. DeGray Lake, Arkansas
97. Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
98. Cayuga Lake, New York
99. Fayette County Reservoir, Texas
100. Logan Martin Lake, Alabama