Just wondering what lakes the biggest bass are in in the US. Besides fl,tx, and cali. I was at table rock this spring and they catch a lot in the 7lb range there. just wondering if anyone noticed from watching espn of a place where you can consistantly catch monster bass. (needs to be within driving distance of wi)
kevin
The Great Lakes for sure, if you want some monster Smallies that would be a great place to start.
I’d head for the Great Lakes too. You’ve pretty much narrowed your focus down by limiting your driving distance.
If you really wanna find some nice fish in our area, try the cranberry bogs out by Warrens. I know a few guys who do really well in them. 
i’ve heard a lot about the bogs but i will prob have to get some insider info on where i can put in at. i’ve heard of guys just backing off the shoulders of certain county roads and getting 5 and 6lbers on a regular bases.
Waconia and Minnetonka in the Twin Cities. There are quite a few lakes up there with some hawgs. Probably not 7+ pounders too regularly, but 5-6 are not uncommon. I think Fishnut from this site had a 5 fish limt of 25 pounds on Waconia last summer.
I would have to agree with MossBoss. Both are great fisheries but I prefer Tonka. If you know how to chase deep bass come up here in the summer June to Aug. You can have days that average 4lbs with a handful of 5+ fish mixed in.
Thanks, now I’m all excited for warm water!
In my freezer waitin’ for the fish fry!!! 
New Mexico, depends on what you call driving distance….
Are you looking to catch a fish over 7 lbs? If that is the goal, I think you odds are better down south. Lake of the Ozarks if probably the closest opportunity for this that I can think off. Had a 6 1/2 weekend before last there, and got beat in BB by a 6.8 and a 7.2. Lake OZ has been kicking out some AWESOME fish this year. 22+ for top 6 or 7 places in a lot of tourneys. Turman hasn’t recover from LMBV as well as the other fisheries down there, so I’m hesitant to recommend that. 5-7 years ago, I might have said it was the best opportunity in MO. Table Rock is probably the next closest. AR and OK also offer some good lakes for 7+, but a little further drive.
If you’re just looking for quality fish in the 5 lb range, I’ll agree with Mossy too. Tonka is hard to beat. Waconia has some good fish too, but it’s a little smaller and I believe the fish are starting to feel the pressure a little more. Fishnut had an awesome bag, but the didn’t just jump in his boat. He put a lot of time in to get them.
Coming from MO and fishing lakes with the opportnities for 7+, I can say I’d MUCH rather head to North MN on lakes with ZERO crowd and catch 100 fish a day. You’ll get atleast a dozen over 3 1/2 as well. Probably not gonna catch the trophy, but what a great experience. Of course fishing the Ozarks lake was a norm for me, and up north is still somethign kinda new. So I can see where it might be the opposite for you.
By the way, early spring (up til now) is the best if you head to the southern MO area if you’re looking for big fish. A few weeks after post spawn and you’ll get more numbers, just not the egg filled big mama’s.
As always, just my opinion, which could be 100% wrong! 
Thanks
Chuck
Cali…Swimbait nation!!!
Lake Casitas was my old stomping grouds…in spring you could fish the swimbait and have your heart stopped by all the huge shadows following your swimbait…10 lb.+ bass all day…that was then..this is now!!
Try a 5-7 inch swimbait around here…you’ll be surprised at what size bass you will catch!
Tight lines!! Driving distance only 2,000 miles to the west!! Where the sun sets in the pacific ocean!!
Ft McCoy is another option…its opened to the public but you have to buy a yearly fishing permit. Fish close to the WI state record may exsist there. A friend of mine caught and released a 9 lber there a few years ago. I’ve caught and released several 7’s and one pushing the 8 lb mark. The fishing isn’t easy though, no gas powered motors are allowed, the ramps suck for bigger boats, the water is crystal clear and due to the fishing preasure from others like me (its not much of a secret in this area)the fish have become harder and harder to catch over the last couple of years. There still there, just a little smarter. A couple of the lakes are heavily stocked in the spring with rainbow trout which makes fooling them even tougher. Even seen a 5 or 6lber chase one down one day. Have thrown swim baits there alot over the years without much luck. Fall seems to be the best time for me anyway…the trout have been caught or eaten by then and the fish are looking for whatever they can before the freeze-up.
Wisconsin has some great fisheries that is for sure, but there are some northern lakes that do not see much fishing pressure for bass. Pine lake in northern WI is a great largemouth fishery. I have caught several fish close to 7 lbs there. Last year a caught a 6.5 on a chug bug, but once I started to unhook it I noticed it had a 1.5 lb bullhead curled in its mouth. Every time you will have the chance at catching a fish over 6. For smallies there is Long Lake near Eau Claire and Butternut lake and both are full of 5-6 lb smallies. The water is clear, but both lakes have a great topwater bite in the morning and evening. I believe that Long Lake has a 17″ size limit for the smallies because the DNR is trying to make it a trophy lake for smallies.
I have never really fished for bass outside of WI, but would like to possibly try some new waters this year.
Good luck on the water,
Ben
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