Sturgeon Bay Named Best Bass Fishing Lake In America

Sturgeon Bay has been named the best bass fishing lake in America by Bassmaster magazine.

When people think of bass fishing, they probably don’t think of Wisconsin – instead, they think of pulling lunker largemouths from the warm southern waters of Lake Okeechobee, Lake of the Ozarks, or Kentucky Lake.

But James Hall, editor of Bassmaster, says the best bass fishing is actually in Door County, in the Lake Michigan waters of Sturgeon Bay.

“Sturgeon Bay, it’s been really strong for the last couple of years,” said Hall. “There is no better place in the world currently based on all our research and data.”

Hall says it’s not uncommon for fishermen to pull 6-pound smallmouths out of the clear, cold, Lake Michigan water.

“A 6-pound smallmouth is considered a real trophy, a really special fish, and Sturgeon Bay is spitting out 6-pounders like nobody’s business,” said Hall. “And not only that, they caught one that almost got to 9 pounds – which is, you’re nearing a world record fish.“

The news didn’t come as a complete surprise at the Sturgeon Bay Visitors Center, according to executive director Todd Trimberger.

“Actually, the fishing here is a pretty big part of our tourism, so amongst the fishermen themselves, it is a big thing here,” said Trimberger. “Our waters are very unique in the sense that you can go from the bay out to Lake Michigan without ever leaving your boat.”

Other hot Wisconsin bass fishing sites include Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior, ranked 84th, the pools of the Upper Mississippi River, ranked 38th and 35th, and Green Bay, ranked 31st.