Lake Fork top site for best bass fishing in 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A study by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation shows that in the past year nearly 55 million Americans have gone fishing. Those eager anglers hunting for giants need to look no further than Texas according to Bassmaster Magazine’s annual ranking of 100 Best Bass Lakes. Lake Fork, renowned for producing giant bass, has been named the No. 1 fishery in the U.S. for 2021.

Overall the state had 10 fisheries on the Top 100 list — Fork, Sam Rayburn, O.H. Ivie, Toledo Bend, Ray Roberts, Conroe, Falcon, Choke Canyon, Texoma and Caddo — creating a tie with California for the state with the most fisheries in the rankings.

“Creating the rankings takes more than two months as we dig through current tournament data as well as state fishery information on stocking efforts, catch rates and angler access,” explained Bassmaster Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Hall. “Folks found respite in the outdoors, and many of them fished for the first time. That may have put more pressure on lakes than normal, and some fisheries were impacted. Still, other lakes, which may not have been exposed previously to tournaments, shined brightly.

“These rankings provide a bucket list of destinations for anglers.”

Lake Fork, just 65 miles east of Dallas, is a slice of heaven for anglers hungry for hogs. A whopping 20 ShareLunkers — largemouth bass measuring at least 24 inches in length or 8 pounds — were caught on Fork in the first four months of 2021, with a 15.27-pound giant hooked in March. Those familiar with Fork know it sets the table for some of the biggest catches in the U.S. each year, but look what the Bassmaster Elite Series did in the April 2021 stop on this hallowed spot. Lee Livesay (112 pounds, 5 ounces over four days) joined the Century Club and Patrick Walters (102-5) accomplished the feat on Fork for the second consecutive year. This Lone Star State success story produces giants every year, and since the fishing is hot right now, there’s never been a better chance for avid anglers to mark this one off their bucket list.

The rankings identify the top lakes in the nation based on head-to-head comparisons, as well as the Top 25 lakes in four geographical regions — Central, Western, Southeastern and Northeastern.

“We divide the nation into four regions and rank the lakes in each region to give anglers perspective on the fisheries they can most likely reach,” Hall explained.

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.