Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu

How they feed

• Water55–78°F, best near 68°
• TideEither, as long as it moves
• MoonEither
• DepthUsually 3–30 ft

Scored against their own temperature range and tide preference first, then wind, weather and warnings. Solunar periods only break ties. How the score works

Season by state

• MarylandApr–Nov
• MichiganApr–Nov
• New YorkApr–Nov
• MinnesotaMay–Oct
• OhioApr–Nov
• TennesseeFeb–Dec
• CaliforniaYear-round
• ColoradoApr–Nov
• PennsylvaniaApr–Nov
• TexasYear-round
• AlabamaFeb–Dec
• ArizonaYear-round
• IowaApr–Oct
• KentuckyMar–Dec
• South DakotaApr–Nov
• VirginiaApr–Nov
• VermontMay–Oct
• WisconsinMay–Nov
• West VirginiaMar–Nov
• ArkansasMar–Dec
• GeorgiaYear-round
• IllinoisMar–Nov
• IndianaMay–Nov
• KansasMar–Nov
• MaineMay–Oct
• MissouriMar–Dec
• North DakotaMay–Oct
• NebraskaApr–Nov
• New HampshireMay–Oct
• New MexicoYear-round
• UtahMar–Dec
• IdahoApr–Oct
• MontanaApr–Oct
• North CarolinaFeb–Dec
• NevadaYear-round
• OklahomaFeb–Dec

The Maryland, Delaware and Virginia months are the Chesapeake-region season. Everywhere else it is carried over by water temperature: a month counts at a spot when its usual water is in the range that marks the mid-Atlantic season (46°F and warmer), from the spot’s own gauge where it has one and an estimate from air temperature where it doesn’t. Each state lists the months that hold at half or more of its spots. Where the water temperatures come from.

Keep or release

• Alabama5 a dayAlabama: no more than 5 smallmouth within the 10 black bass daily limit, no statewide minimum. Guntersville, Pickwick, Wheeler and Wilson are 15".Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Arizona6 a dayArizona statewide: 6 bass a day (largemouth and smallmouth combined), no minimum length. The Colorado River from Davis Dam to Mexico, including Lake Havasu, is 6 a day with a 13" minimum.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Arkansas12" minimum · 6 a dayArkansas: 12" minimum on smallmouth; 6 a day in reservoirs, 2 a day in flowing water, and 1 of at least 15" on blue-ribbon streams. Beaver and Bull Shoals are 15", 6 black bass a day combined.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• California12" minimum · 5 a dayLakes, reservoirs and the Delta: 12" minimum, 5 black bass a day, open all year. Rivers, streams and ponds entirely on private land have no size limit (still 5 a day). Hodges, Casitas, Barrett, Upper Otay and a few other waters have their own rules.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Colorado non-tidal5 a dayColorado statewide: 5 bass a day combined east of the Continental Divide, no minimum; smallmouth are unlimited west of the Divide. Boyd, Chatfield, Cherry Creek and Pueblo have a 15" minimum; Horsetooth smallmouth 12".Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Delaware tidal6 a dayDelaware non-tidal waters: 6 a day, open all year, but no smallmouth from 12 to 17" (inclusive) may be kept, and no more than 1 over 17".Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Georgia5 a dayGeorgia statewide: no length limit. 10 black bass a day combined, of which no more than 5 may be smallmouth, shoal, Bartram's and the other listed river basses.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Idaho non-tidal6 a dayIdaho bass limits vary by region: Panhandle 6 a day combined with no minimum (Coeur d'Alene Lake); Southwest and Magic Valley 6 with none under 12"; Southeast 6 with none under 14"; Upper Snake no limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Illinois21" minimum · 1 a dayIllinois Lake Michigan: largemouth or smallmouth, 21" minimum, 1 a day.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Illinois6 a dayIllinois: 6 black bass a day combined, no statewide size limit. In rivers and streams (not the Mississippi, Ohio or Wabash) only 3 may be smallmouth, and smallmouth must be released Apr 1–Jun 15 except on the big rivers.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Indiana14" minimum · 3 a dayIndiana Lake Michigan: largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass combined, 14" minimum, 3 a day.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Iowa non-tidal15" minimum · 3 a dayIowa public lakes: 15" minimum, 3 black bass a day combined (6 in possession). Interior streams are 12"; the Mississippi River is 14" and 5 a day.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Kansas non-tidal15" minimum · 5 a dayKansas (K.A.R. 115-25-14): 15" minimum, 5 black bass a day combined (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted). KDWP posts different limits on some reservoirs.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Kentucky12" minimum · 6 a dayKentucky statewide: 12" minimum, 6 black bass a day combined. Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are 15"; Lake Cumberland is 18".Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Maine non-tidal2 a dayMaine South Zone general law: 2 bass a day, no minimum, only 1 over 14". The North Zone has no bass limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Maryland non-tidal12" minimum · 5 a dayMaryland nontidal waters: 12" minimum (or as set by special regulation), 5 bass a day combined with largemouth, kept only Jun 16 to the last day of February. Catch and release is allowed at all times. Bass may not be used as bait.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Maryland non-tidal12" minimum · 5 a dayMaryland nontidal waters: 12" minimum, 5 bass a day combined, kept only Jun 16 to the last day of February; catch and release at all times. Bass may not be used as bait.Non tidal trout waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Maryland tidal12" minimum · 5 a day (Jan 1–Feb 29, Jun 16–Dec 31); 15" minimum · 5 a day (Mar 1–Jun 15)Maryland tidal waters: 5 black bass a day (largemouth and smallmouth combined); 15" minimum Mar 1–Jun 15 and 12" the rest of the year. Bass may not be used as bait.Tidal bay waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Michigan14" minimum · 5 a dayMichigan Great Lakes: largemouth and smallmouth combined, 14" minimum, 5 a day. Possession season opens the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 29 in 2027) and runs to Dec 31; catch and immediate release is open the rest of the year.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Minnesota6 a dayMinnesota Southern and North-central zones: 6 bass a day combined. Smallmouth are catch and release from Mar 1 to the Friday before Memorial Day and again from the second Monday in September.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Missouri6 a dayMissouri impoundments: 6 black bass a day combined, no statewide minimum. Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock, Truman, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Stockton are 15" for smallmouth and largemouth. Streams are 12" (15" on designated smallmouth streams), and south of the Missouri River stream bass must be released from Mar 1 until the fourth Saturday in May.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Montana Eastern District5 a dayEastern District: 5 bass a day and in possession.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Nebraska non-tidal15" minimum · 5 a dayNebraska inland waters: 5 black bass a day in aggregate, 10 in possession, 15" minimum, only one 21" or longer.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 18, 2026 · source · 8 days since checked
• Nevada non-tidal5 a dayNevada general limits: black bass count in the warmwater game fish limit, no more than 5 a day in the Western Region and 10 in the Southern and Eastern regions.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• New Hampshire non-tidal2 a day (Jan 1–May 14); 5 a day (Jun 16–Dec 31)New Hampshire: no minimum length. 2 bass a day Jan 1–May 14, catch and release with artificial lures May 15–Jun 15, 5 a day from Jun 16.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• New Mexico non-tidal12" minimum · 5 a dayNew Mexico: 5 black bass a day combined, 10 in possession; smallmouth 12" minimum (14" at Conchas and Ute).Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• New York12" minimum · 5 a dayLake Ontario: statewide bass rules, 12" minimum and 5 a day Jun 15–Nov 30, catch and release with artificial lures Dec 1–Jun 14. In Jefferson County waters no bass fishing at all is allowed Dec 1–Jun 14.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• New York12" minimum · 5 a dayNew York statewide: 12" minimum, 5 black bass a day combined, Jun 15–Nov 30; Dec 1–Jun 14 catch and release with artificial lures only. Lake Champlain opens the second Saturday in June; the St. Lawrence is closed to bass fishing Dec 1–Jun 14.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• North Carolina5 a dayNorth Carolina statewide: 14" minimum, but 2 of the 5 smallmouth a day may be under 14". A handful of named lakes and coastal rivers have their own rules.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• North Dakota non-tidal5 a dayNorth Dakota (2026–28 proclamation): 5 largemouth and smallmouth bass a day combined (10 in possession), no size limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Ohio14" minimum · 5 a day (Jan 1–Apr 30, Jun 27–Dec 31); 18" minimum · 1 a day (May 1–Jun 26)Lake Erie Sport Fishing District, tributaries included up to the listed end points (Maumee to the Grand Rapids dam, Sandusky to the Tiffin waterworks dam). Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass combined: 14" and 5 a day Mar 1–Apr 30, 18" and 1 a day May 1–Jun 26, 14" and 5 a day Jun 27–Feb 28.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Oklahoma6 a dayOklahoma: 6 largemouth and smallmouth a day combined, only 1 of them over 16"; spotted bass have no limit. In rivers and streams largemouth and smallmouth must be 14", and only 1 of the 6 may be a smallmouth.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Pennsylvania15" minimum · 4 a day (Jan 1–Apr 9, Jun 12–Dec 31); 20" minimum · 1 a day (Apr 10–Jun 11)Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay, largemouth and smallmouth combined: 15" and 4 a day, except 20" and 1 a day from the second Saturday in April to the Friday before the second Saturday in June (Apr 10–Jun 11 in 2027). No bass tournaments in that period.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Pennsylvania15" minimum · 4 a day (Jan 1–Apr 9, Oct 1–Dec 31); 12" minimum · 6 a day (Jun 12–Sep 30)Combined with largemouth and spotted bass: 15" minimum, 4 a day through the Friday before the second Saturday in April and again Oct 1–Dec 31; catch and immediate release only from the second Saturday in April to the Friday before the second Saturday in June (Apr 10–Jun 11 in 2027); 12" minimum, 6 a day from then through Sep 30. Big Bass Program lakes are 15", 4 a day whenever harvest is open.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 21, 2026 · source
• South Dakota non-tidal5 a daySouth Dakota: 5 largemouth and smallmouth bass a day combined, 10 in possession.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Tennessee5 a dayTennessee statewide: no minimum length, 5 black bass a day combined. Reservoir rules: Kentucky Lake 15"; Percy Priest and Tims Ford 18"; Chickamauga no minimum but only 1 over 16"; Dale Hollow protects smallmouth from 16 to 21" and allows 2 a day.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Texas14" minimum · 5 a day14" minimum, 5/day in any combination of black bass.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Utah non-tidal6 a dayUtah statewide: 6 largemouth and smallmouth bass a day combined.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Vermont non-tidal10" minimum · 5 a dayVermont: 10" minimum, 5 bass a day combined, harvest from the second Saturday in June to Mar 15; catch and release with artificial lures the rest of the year. Lake Champlain is 12" and closes to harvest Dec 1.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)5 a dayVirginia statewide: 5 bass a day combined (largemouth and smallmouth), no statewide length limit. Many rivers and lakes have their own length rules, among them the James and New rivers (no bass 14–22", 1 over 22"), the Shenandoah (no bass 11–14"), Claytor Lake (no smallmouth under 14") and Lake Moomaw (12" minimum).Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• West Virginia6 a dayWest Virginia: 6 black bass a day combined, no statewide minimum. Some waters add a 12" minimum or a protected slot; the New River releases bass from 14 to 22".Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
• Wisconsin14" minimum · 5 a dayLake Michigan: 14" minimum, 5 a day from the first Saturday in May to the first Sunday in March (May 2, 2026–Mar 7, 2027; reopens May 1, 2027), catch and release the rest of the year.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source

Rules change, and they differ by state and often by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water. Smallmouth bass are fished at spots in 36 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.