Anglers prepare for competition in Lake St. Clair the morning before the Bassmaster tournament in 2024.
By: Scott Bentley | C&G Newspapers | Published July 31, 2025
ST. CLAIR SHORES — Bassmaster Magazine released its annual list of the 100 Best Bass Lakes in America and Lake St. Clair was ranked in the top 10 in the country.
The magazine starts the rankings by compiling a top 25 in each region, and lakes located in Michigan are represented throughout the northeastern region’s top 25. Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie finished third and fourth, respectively; Burt/Mullett lakes and Grand Traverse Bay finished sixth and seventh, respectively; Lake Charlevoix and Bays de Noc were ranked ninth and 10th, respectively; and Saginaw Bay came in at No. 21 in the top 25.
After ranking each region, Bassmaster puts together the publication’s countrywide rankings and Lake St. Clair is always near the top. This year was no different. The local lake came in as the 10th best bass lake in America.
“(Lake St. Clair) has taken an average 25 pounds per day … to win a tournament on Lake St. Clair. So that’s a 5-pound average per bass,” Bassmaster Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Hall said. “It’s not just smallmouth but largemouth playing as well. So, you have two separate and very desirable species. … What makes St. Clair special is you have a lot of fish, and you have big fish.”
Hall also pointed out that Lake St. Clair has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in prior lists.
“When it was (ranked No. 1), the lines at the boat ramps were backed up 2 miles from where they launch the boat,” Hall explained. “It can create some more traffic; however, the community gets so much benefit.”
There’s a lot that goes into the Bassmaster rankings and it’s always one of the most talked-about lists in the sporting world every year when it’s published. The top 100 isn’t just thrown together; it’s the culmination of a year of research.
“We start by sending out surveys to all of the DNRs of each state. … We ask each of them to rank the lakes in their state. They’re the ones that know best, and it’s based on catch rate, size of fish, access and stocking practices,” Hall said. “We also send out a survey to all of our BASS Nation conservation directors and presidents.”
Once there is a collection of lakes, then the real work starts for Bassmaster Magazine. The publication begins doing research and collecting data on the lakes and the fish in the lakes.
“We search for any possible tournament for any of the lakes that are mentioned… We see what, kind of, the high-water mark is for size of the fish. And then the cream kind of starts rising to the top,” Hall said. “The quality of results kind of start putting the lakes in order. … Then we start digging deeper and talking to pros, guides, fisheries, biologists. … Then we have a blue-ribbon panel, and we give them all the data.”
The process takes months to finish and is something that makes the consistently high ranking of Lake St. Clair even more impressive.
An angler who has found a lot of success at the lake over the years is Bassmaster pro Jay Przekurat. A Wisconsin native, Przekurat won the Bassmaster tournament at Lake St. Clair in 2024.
“I’ve had a really good track record on St. Clair,” Przekurat said. “I think what makes the lake so good is the fish don’t sit on the same spots every year. … You can put the boat in the water, and you could float across the entire lake and catch a bass, which is the coolest part of the lake.”
The professional angler perspective on Lake St. Clair is similar to a casual fisherman, which is unique. It doesn’t matter what level you fish at. The lake is rewarding to all due to its features, or lack thereof.
“The lake is featureless. … It’s basically straight sand,” Przekurat said. “Those fish live out in the middle of the lake and there’s just not much rock. … I just think that’s the reason why it’s so good.”
Lake St. Clair is seen as a national treasure and the community will hopefully continue to benefit from what it provides anglers everywhere.
“It’s literally everything in that town,” Przekurat said. “Then to be able to showcase the body of water when the tournament does come around … it’s a huge event not only for the town, but for all the people that love to fish, or maybe they’re just getting into fishing and want to experience what Lake St. Clair is like.”
For more information about Lake St. Clair, go to michigan.gov or metroparks.com. To keep up to date with Bassmaster events, go to bassmaster.com or follow bass_nation on Instagram.