Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
About Largemouth Bass
The largemouth bass is America's most popular game fish, and Minnesota offers excellent opportunities despite being at the northern edge of their range. Known for explosive topwater strikes and acrobatic fights, largemouth provide exciting fishing from ice-out through fall. They're found in lakes, ponds, and slow rivers throughout southern and central Minnesota.
🏞️Habitat
Largemouth are cover-oriented fish. They relate to docks, fallen trees, lily pads, and weed beds. Preferred water is warmer and more vegetated than smallmouth habitat. In spring, they spawn in shallow bays with hard bottoms when water reaches 60-65°F. Summer bass hold in shade and cover, often very shallow in low-light conditions.
🔍Identification
- •Dark green back fading to white belly
- •Dark horizontal stripe along side
- •Upper jaw extends past the eye
- •Large mouth (hence the name)
- •Typically 12-18 inches, can exceed 24 inches
- •Soft dorsal fin nearly separated from spiny portion
🎣How to Catch Largemouth Bass
Best Techniques
- ✓Flipping/pitching jigs into cover
- ✓Topwater frogs over lily pads
- ✓Texas-rigged soft plastics
- ✓Spinnerbaits along weed edges
- ✓Crankbaits over submerged structure
Best Baits
- ✓Soft plastic worms (green pumpkin, junebug)
- ✓Jigs with crawfish trailers
- ✓Hollow-body frogs
- ✓Spinnerbaits (white/chartreuse)
- ✓Square-bill crankbaits
📅Seasonal Patterns
Spring
Pre-spawn and spawn are prime time. Target shallow dark-bottom bays.
Summer
Fish early/late or target shade. Topwater at dawn is incredible.
Fall
Bass feed heavily as water cools. Follow baitfish to find them.
Ice Fishing
Limited - largemouth are largely dormant under ice in MN.
💡Pro Tips
- 1Bass are most active when water temps are 65-80°F
- 2Always fish docks thoroughly - bass love the shade
- 3Overcast days allow bass to stay shallow longer
- 4Downsize your baits in clear water, go bigger in stained
- 5Set the hook hard - bass have bony mouths
🏆Minnesota Record
- Weight
- 8 lbs 15 oz
- Length
- 23.5"
- Lake
- Tetonka Lake
- Year
- 2021
📋Regulations
- Daily Limit
- 6
- Size Limit
- 12" minimum
- Season
- May 24 - Feb 23 (C&R May 10-23)
Statewide regulations. Many lakes have special rules.
Check DNR Regulations →🧠Did You Know?
- •Largemouth can eat prey up to half their body length
- •Male bass guard the nest and fry for weeks after hatching
- •Bass can learn to avoid certain lures after being caught
- •Their lateral line can detect vibrations from 100 feet away
Find Largemouth Bass Lakes
Search for Minnesota lakes with documented largemouth bass populations.
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