Fish
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu · also called bronzeback, smallmouth
Hooked in a clear, rocky river, a smallmouth bass explodes into the air in the first of several acrobatic leaps, giving an angler a fight considerably more dramatic than its more famous largemouth relative typically puts up in a weedy, warmer lake nearby.
Overview
The smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, is a hard-fighting sport fish native to rivers and rocky lakes across eastern and central North America. Its preference for cooler, clearer water and reputation as one of freshwater fishing’s most acrobatic fighters make it one of the most popular and widely pursued game fish on the continent.
A cooler, rockier cousin of the largemouth
Where the largemouth bass settles into warm, weedy lakes, the smallmouth bass instead seeks out cooler, clearer, rockier water, a habitat preference that shapes both where anglers find it and just how hard it fights once hooked.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and abundant across suitable cool, rocky river and lake habitat throughout its native and introduced range.
Smallmouth Bass: common questions
What is the difference between a smallmouth bass and a largemouth bass?
A smallmouth bass has an upper jaw that ends roughly beneath the eye, while the largemouth bass's jaw extends noticeably farther back past the rear edge of the eye, and the two species also differ in habitat preference, with the smallmouth generally favouring cooler, clearer, rockier water than the warmer, weedier water largemouth bass prefer.
Why do anglers particularly value the smallmouth bass?
A smallmouth bass is well known among anglers for putting up a hard-fighting, acrobatic struggle when hooked, frequently leaping clear of the water in an effort to throw the hook, a fighting style that has made it one of the most sought-after freshwater sport fish in North America.
Why is the smallmouth bass called the bronzeback?
The smallmouth bass typically displays a bronze to olive-brown colouration with faint vertical bars along its sides, a colouration distinctive enough to give the species its common nickname, bronzeback, among anglers.
Where does the smallmouth bass live?
The smallmouth bass is native to rivers and rocky lakes across eastern and central North America, generally favouring cooler, clearer water than the largemouth bass, and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a popular sport fish.