One of the world’s most popular game fish that is stocked in rivers and lakes throughout the U.S. The Smallmouth Bass is marked by a series of dark stripes on the sides and an upper jaw that does not extend past the eye. The maximum recorded weight of a Smallmouth Bass is 12 lbs. It is found only in clear water and is a good indicator of a healthy environment due to its intolerance of any type of pollution. The Smallmouth Bass is typically more challenging to catch and more delicately flavored than its bigger cousin the Largemouth Bass, making it well worth the effort of the tremendously strong fight that it puts up.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Centrarchiformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Genus: Micropterus
Species: Micropterus dolomieu
Habitat
Wetland
Distribution
Widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, from the Hudson Bay basin in Canada to northeastern Mexico.
Seasonality
Spring, Summer
Abundance
Abundant
Activity Time
Diurnal
Diet
Adults consume crayfish, amphibians, insects, and other fish
Behavior
Smallmouth bass, like other black basses, may congregate around structural elements such as fallen logs or other large debris