Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides · Centrarchidae
Also known as: Bigmouth, Bucketmouth, Green bass
The most sought-after freshwater game fish in North America — an ambush predator that lives in cover.
- Typical size
- 0.5–2 kg (1–4 lb), 30–45 cm
- Max size
- Trophy fish exceed 4.5 kg (10 lb), with the biggest in the deep south and California.
- Water
- Freshwater
- Best season
- Pre-spawn and spawn (spring); strong topwater bite in summer and fall.
Identification
Olive-green with a bold dark lateral stripe; the upper jaw extends past the eye (unlike smallmouth).
Habitat & Range
Lakes, ponds, and slow rivers with vegetation, timber, and cover.
Native to the eastern and central US and northern Mexico; introduced worldwide, from Japan to southern Africa.
Diet & Feeding
Ambush predator eating baitfish (shad, bluegill), crayfish, frogs, and large insects; adults hit almost any sizeable prey.
Spawning & Reproduction
Spring spawner. Males fan shallow nests in protected, warming water and aggressively guard the eggs and fry.
Spawning windowSource-verified
- Run begins
- Apr 15
- Peak
- May 10
- Ends
- Jun 15
- Redd temperature
- 60–65°F
Ohio DNR gives spawning from mid-April to mid-June, with the male building the nest in one to six feet of water and guarding the eggs until they hatch in two to four days, fanning silt away in the meantime. Males begin scouting and building at about 58-60F and spawning gets going at 60-65F; the female drops back to deeper water once the eggs are fertilised, leaving the male on the nest alone.
Timing is modelled for a mid-latitude reference population — fish the thermometer, not the calendar. Based on 2 cited sources.
Spawning timing by location
Spawning tracks water temperature, so the calendar shifts with latitude and elevation. These break largemouth bass timing down by state and water body.
- The World Record Largemouth Bass
George Perry caught a 22 lb 4 oz largemouth in Georgia in 1932. Manabu Kurita caught one the same weight in Japan in 2009 — heavier, in fact, but not by enough. Here is the rule that made it a tie, and the 2024 change that means IGFA's database now lists two separate records instead of one shared one.
- When Do Largemouth Bass Spawn in Missouri?
Missouri largemouth bass spawn from mid-April through late May or June. The detail that finds them: they will not nest where there's current or wave action — the opposite of walleye.
- When Do Largemouth Bass Spawn in Ohio?
Ohio largemouth bass spawn from mid-April to mid-June. Males start building at 58–60°F and spawning follows at 60–65°F — always in water with no current and no wave action.
How to Catch
Find cover — grass edges, laydowns, docks. Slow your presentation in cold water and speed it up as it warms.
Best techniques
- Flipping & pitching
- Topwater
- Texas & wacky rig
- Crankbaits
Lures & baits
- Plastic worms & creature baits
- Jigs
- Topwater frogs
- Live shiners
Best season: Pre-spawn and spawn (spring); strong topwater bite in summer and fall.