Newton Lake Mentioned in Bassmaster Magazine's 100 Best Lakes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After three years of hovering in the Top 5 of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings, Texas’ Sam Rayburn Reservoir finally takes the crown for being the best bass lake in the nation for 2018.
 
The storied Lone Star State fishery has never ranked below 26th in the seven years the rankings have been published. However, the 114,500-acre lake started showing out in 2015, when it climbed to fifth. In 2016 it jumped to fourth. And last year, Rayburn was the bridesmaid, sitting in second place. But, Rayburn is a bridesmaid no more, and for the first time captures the title.
 
“Although there were some pretty spectacular numbers being produced from other lakes this year, Rayburn was a clear No. 1,” said James Hall, editor of Bassmaster Magazine. “While some lakes were boasting of a single 30-pound, five-bass limit being caught, Rayburn was spitting them out in rapid succession. And to top it off, a 40.28-pound limit was recorded in June.”
 
Countless limits of solid fish aren’t the only thing special about this lake.
 
“When it comes to double-digit bass, Rayburn also seems to top the list this year,” Hall continued. “Three 10-pounders were weighed in during a one-day February derby. Plus, a 12.05 and a 13.06 were landed here in March. The lake is simply on fire right now.”
 
The process to create the rankings takes about three months to complete. Data is received from state fisheries agencies across the U.S. This is coupled with catch data collected from dozens of tournament organizations across the country from the past 12 months. After the numbers are crunched, a blue-ribbon panel from the bass fishing industry debates the strength of the lakes, then settles on the final rankings.
 
The rankings identify the Top 10 lakes in the nation regardless of location, as well as the Top 25 lakes in four geographical divisions. “By dividing the Top 100 into four regions, anglers have perspective on fisheries nearby,” Hall explained.
 
Tennessee’s Chickamauga Lake, which takes the No. 2 slot this year, made a strong argument for No. 1, as it also produced 40-plus-pound limits this spring. Yes, that was plural — two five-fish limits exceeding 42 pounds were landed this year. Although this 36,240-acre fishery hasn’t produced quite as many big fish as Rayburn, there were two bass over 10 pounds recorded here since February, the biggest weighing 11.21 pounds.
 
California’s Clear Lake landed in the No. 3 position on the strength of its production of big largemouth. Lake St. Clair, a former No. 1 in 2013, climbed from ninth last year to the fourth spot in 2018, while Minnesota’s Mille Lacs Lake (last years’ No. 1 fishery) fell to No. 5. The remainder of the nation’s Top 10 are: sixth, Santee Cooper lakes (Marion/Moultrie), South Carolina; seventh, Diamond Valley Lake, California.; eighth, Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River), New York; ninth, Lake Guntersville, Alabama; 10th, Falcon Lake, Texas.
 
Other highlights include the comeback of Lake Guntersville, which has finally turned the corner on several subpar years of production for the stalwart fishery. Newcomers to the rankings include Texas’ Belton Lake, Arkansas’ Lake Chicot, Maryland’s Potomac River, Mississippi’s Lake Ferguson and Oregon’s Tahkenitch Lake.
 
When it comes to bragging rights for the state with the most lakes to make the Top 100 list, Texas wins with 12. California boasts eight fisheries within the rankings, while Florida has the third most with seven.
 
Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass lakes will be published in a 12-page section of the July/August issue of Bassmaster Magazine. The complete rankings can also be found in Bassmaster.com photo galleries.
 
2018 List Of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes      
Rank        Fishery            State
Top 10         
1    Sam Rayburn Reservoir    Texas
2    Chickamauga Lake    Tennessee
3    Clear Lake    California
4    Lake St. Clair    Michigan
5    Mille Lacs Lake    Minnesota
6    Santee Cooper lakes (Marion/Moultrie)     South Carolina
7    Diamond Valley Lake    California
8    Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River)    New York
9    Lake Guntersville    Alabama
10    Falcon Lake    Texas
          
Central         
1    Sam Rayburn Reservoir    Texas
2    Mille Lacs Lake    Minnesota
3    Falcon Lake    Texas
4    Toledo Bend Reservoir    Texas/Louisiana
5    Sturgeon Bay    Wisconsin
6    Lake Conroe    Texas
7    Lake Lyndon B. Johnson    Texas
8    Lake O’ the Pines    Texas
9    Millwood Lake    Arkansas
10    La Cygne Lake    Kansas
11    Lake Ray Roberts    Texas
12    Lake Palestine    Texas
13    Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees    Oklahoma
14    Lake of the Ozarks    Missouri
15    Lake Dardanelle    Arkansas
16    Bull Shoals Lake    Arkansas
17    Caddo Lake    Texas/Louisiana
18    Newton Lake    Illinois
19    Lake Ouachita    Arkansas
20    Lake Oahe    South Dakota
21    Belton Lake    Texas
22    Table Rock Lake    Missouri/Arkansas
23    Lake Chicot    Arkansas
24    Lake Texoma    Texas/Oklahoma
25    Lake Fork    Texas
          
Northeastern         
1    Lake St. Clair    Michigan
2    Thousand Islands (St. Lawrence River)    New York
3    Lake Erie    New York
4    Lake Erie    Ohio
5    Lake Champlain    New York/Vermont
6    Bays de Noc    Michigan
7    Saginaw Bay    Michigan
8    Lake Charlevoix    Michigan
9    Burt/Mullet lakes    Michigan
10    Grand Traverse Bay    Michigan
11    Potomac River    Maryland/Virginia/West Virginia
12    Oneida Lake    New York
13    Cayuga Lake    New York
14    Lake Barkley    Kentucky
15    Presque Isle Bay    Pennsylvania
16    Upper Chesapeake Bay    Maryland
17    Lake Cumberland    Kentucky
18    Smith Mountain Lake    Virginia
19    Webber Pond    Maine
20    China Lake    Maine
21    Great Pond    Maine
22    Candlewood Lake    Connecticut
23    Chatauqua Lake    New York
24    Lake Winnipesaukee    New Hampshire
25    Kentucky Lake    Kentucky/Tennessee
          
Southeastern         
1    Chickamauga Lake    Tennessee
2    Santee Cooper lakes (Marion/Moultrie)    South Carolina
3    Lake Guntersville    Alabama
4    Lake Okeechobee    Florida
5    Lake Tohopekaliga    Florida (plus Kissimmee Chain of Lakes)
6    Pickwick Lake    Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee
7    Lake Istokpoga    Florida
8    Shearon Harris    North Carolina
9    Lake Eufaula    Alabama/Georgia
10    Lake Seminole    Georgia/Florida
11    Rodman Reservoir    Florida
12    Cooper River    South Carolina
13    Wilson Lake    Alabama
14    Lake Ferguson    Mississippi
15    Lake Burton    Georgia
16    Lake Murray    South Carolina
17    Falls Lake    North Carolina
18    Harris Chain of Lakes    Florida
19    Lake Greenwood    South Carolina
20    Bay Springs Lake    Mississippi
21    Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)    North Carolina/Virginia
22    High Rock Lake    North Carolina
23    Lake Hartwell    Georgia/South Carolina
24    Kenansville Reservoir    Florida
25    Logan Martin Lake    Alabama
          
Western         
1    Clear Lake    California
2    Diamond Valley Lake    California
3    Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta    California
4    New Melones Lake    California
5    Don Pedro Reservoir    California
6    Lake Berryessa    California
7    Lake Havasu    Arizona/California
8    Roosevelt Lake    Arizona
9    Lake Perris    California
10    Tenmile Lake    Oregon
11    Lake Mohave    Nevada/Arizona
12    Lake Pleasant    Arizona
13    Potholes Reservoir    Washington
14    Fort Peck Reservoir    Montana
15    Coeur d’Alene Lake    Idaho
16    Lake Washington    Washington
17    Dworshak Reservoir    Idaho
18    Saguaro Lake    Arizona
19    Lake Powell    Utah/Arizona
20    C.J. Strike Reservoir    Idaho
21    Elephant Butte Reservoir    New Mexico
22    Siltcoos Lake    Oregon
23    Lake Mead    Nevada/Arizona
24    Tahkenitch Lake    Oregon
25    Columbia River    Oregon/Washington

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