Good places to catch big smallmouths on a fly

I, my brother, and two other guys like to go on fishing trips every other year or so. We've been out for kings, caught silver salmon in Chignik, AK, and pike in Saskatchewan. But our planned June trip to Canada has been scrapped due to the border closure.

So we've decided to go after good red-blooded American smallmouth bass in early September. Thing is, we're not real sure where to go.

I've been told the upper Mississippi is good for big smallmouths. Then someone else told me it's tough there to get them on a fly there because the water tends to be murky.

Another guy (who posts here, but I won't share his name lest he become associated with James) told me the upper Miss is mud-bottomed and murky water, and not that good of fly fishing. He suggested I try some of the rock-bottomed rivers in NW Wisconsin.

Ideally, we'd like to find a good guide or guides with drift boats to take us out. That's a very popular way to fish in the West, and I hear it's catching on down there.

I've also found out there is good smallmouth fishing in the Columbia River, believe it or not. Nobody fishes for them there, they're all after steelhead or salmon. Windy conditions reportedly make fly fishing tough. But we ain't married to our fly rods. We're willing to pick up spinning rods, if needed to catch fish.

Jim

Grand traverse bay. Super clean water, lots of fish.

Hayward Fly Fishing Company, Hayward WI. Smallmouth and muskies out of a drift boat on a fly. They will put you on lots of fish.

I should have mentioned that we prefer to fish on rivers and streams. Lake smallmouths are a different fish from river smallmouths. River smallmouths spend twenty-four hours a day on a treadmill.

Jim

Hayward is on my list to check. I found their website. It's good to hear you give them a good reference.

Have you fished with them? How did you do? Did the guides work for you and honestly try to put you into fish?

Jim

Yes, about 20 years ago I won a trip with them on a raffle. I took my son and they used two drift boats. We each caught about 20 or 25 fish. After realizing how much good fly fishing was available in my backyard I bought a drift boat. I am not sure if the two guides we had are still guiding; I think they are the owners and have others guiding with them now. Very good people.

I just went on their website and saw that one of their guides bought the business this spring, so I can’t vouch for them personally. However, the rivers are still there and if they continue the same customer service as the prior owners you would have a good trip.

I routinely catch 18+ inch smallmouth on my fly rod on Lake Audubon in ND. Almost every trip I would catch one that large. Last year was my first year fly fishing for them and my largest was 21 inches long. There are some big small mouth in that lake and are relatively simple to catch. Also the lake has northern, walleye and a very small amount of muskie. And since ND is a walleye fishing state, there is usually next to no fishing pressure and many times the landings I use only have a few trailers at them. The big lake (Sakakawea) on the other side of US 83 draws in very large numbers of walleye fisherman and Audubon is pretty much ignored since the walleye just don't get as big.

The Ottertail river would be a better smallmouth location in Minnesota than the upper Mississippi.

https://sites.google.com/view/midwest-river-angling/minnesota/otter-tail-river

The St. Lawrence river, although probably not the best for fly fishing, and the Susquehanna River are worth a look.

Eastern Virginia the James or the Shenandoah the best small mouth float fishing or the new river here in southwest Virginia.

There are no Small mouth bass in Tennessee ... never have been and never will be ... they are illegal here

Finger Lakes region in New York State. Rivers, streams and lakes.

Steve Rinella has a very good episode of Das Boat on YouTube. River fishing smallies in Wisconsin.

I've never fished it so I can't speak to the size of the fish, but... Shoal Creek outside of Joplin, MO is a local hotspot for smallmouth bass. Rocky/gravel bottom waterway as well.

Mike

All the Erie tribs have smallmouth in them that are fairly easy to catch them on fly's. September is not the time for them. Right now is thru late August is.

I am sure the Hayward guides will get you some action. There are several good smallmouth rivers in northern WI. WI River and impoundments, Flambeau, north and south forks, Jump River, Red Cedar. Chippewa to name a few. Some have some rapids to be careful with but guides would know all about those. Lot of smallies in these places are more medium in size and not as large as those in bays of Green Bay and Superior. Fly fishing the above rivers can get you hooked up with a decent musky or two as well. River fish are strong due to living in current and put up a good fight. September can find them feeding heavy to ready for the winter.

Bryce

Jim, already been mentioned —Traverse Bay is good ....people, scenery,food, and lodging great. Muskegon river is good too...... in fact lots of smallmouth fishing in Michigan

James, for the big trip it's probably not worth it, but when you're visiting your parents in Ohio, you may want to try fly fishing the national and state scenic river the Big Darby Creek. It's has very good water quality. It has the most different species of fish in Ohio and the most endangered species. It has lots of smallmouth, with a fair number over 20 inches.

Keith

Come on down to Kentucky Lake James,
.....Would love to show you a smallmouth safari.

Teach you how to fish on the bottom first, Lol.

Umpqua river on the southern Oregon coast is a premium smallmouth river.

Penobscot river in Maine. Also lots of good lakes nearby for about anything with fins.

I trout fished with a guide out of Boone, NC that refered to a "Hawg" river floating for big smallies. I believe he was speaking of the New. Does it flow into NC? James this is a very good guide with access to some of the best trout and smallmouth rivers in the southeast. Mainly Tn., NC, and Va.

Another good guide in Northern WI is Tight Lines flyfishing out of DePere WI, they fish the Menomonee River, it borders WI and MI U.P.
Ask for Tim, But I would think that if your going this year it might be tough, they are usually booked out a year or so.
Tim runs several boats his guides are all top notch and know their stuff. They don't rush things, if you want to hit every little nook and cranny they will.
They know every rock in the river that holds a fish.
a 20" river smallie is a trophy, I think last I heard the largest one they caught was approx 23".

They use drift boats and are flyfishing specialist.

Startled my dog again, laughing out loud like a little girl. He is embarrassed by how I laugh when I'm really tickled.

Thanks for all the tips, guys. We want to catch them in moving water. Lake smallmouths, while fun to catch, aren't the same fish as the ones that live in rivers.

I'm getting conflicting info about Minnesota, especially the Upper Miss. The guide I talked to at Headwaters Fly Fishing said it's the best bet for that time of year. They mentioned the St. Croix, but said it's not as good.

We can always drive from Minnesota to Wisconsin and give both areas' rivers a try. If we decide that part of the country is our best bet.

The only other thing I can think of to do is to go chase steelhead in the Pacific NW. The lodges here in Alaska are getting too expensive.

Jim

The Lower Yellowstone River is nice.

Similar story here in Virginia.

I heard Fauci River in Wuhan was an excellent place to catch stuff.

Sleeper clear water reservoir that is chuck full of 4-6 pound smallies is our own Lake Sharpe here in the middle of our state. May have to boat into some back water bays or put up on shore on some shallow points. Lake is loaded with 18”-20+” smallies. Take as many as you can, they are a pain in the arse while trying to catch walleyes! They will test your gear for sure.

Not near as good as the rivers in North Korea.

I'd look into Atlantic Salmon too. Lots of other great fishing opportunities depending upon how much you want to spend.

The Columbia and several of the tribs have excellent small mouth fishing. The Snake River reservoirs are also good. I don’t see many people using fly tackle but the people that eat them fill up buckets. Some areas don’t have bag limits. Also some great fishing for other species in all the places mentioned. PM me if you look harder at Oregon or Idaho, I can point you in about 50 directions that will likely result in a good trip.

We have no bass for james. Goes after Christianity just today and every other topic that has made our country great. Please don’t come here even to visit we have enough antagonists and liberals moving here as it is. Our state is great hope it stays that way.

James would fit in Charlottesville,VA. It's pretty hard core liberal. The James River is 15-20 miles south of Charlottesville.

The John Day isn’t to shabby either, nice cats too.



Owl

Just to follow up, we booked two days in Minnesota with Wildwood Float trips, fishing the Upper Miss or other unspecified rivers, and two days with Hayward Fly Fishing Co. in NW Wisconsin. We'll be fishing from drift boats with both outfits.

Everyone not nearby can relax: we won't be catching all your smallmouths.

We still need to fill two days, September 10 and 11. We're thinking of going spin-fishing in Mille Lacs Lake, maybe. Supposed to be some big ones there. I just have to keep my brother out of the Indian casino.

Thanks for all the well-meant advice!

Jim

come on over to the u p of michigan , little bay de-noc , esacnaba area lots of charter's and lots of bass

Dont forget Ohio Jim,we have fantastic river smallies,and some hybrids in certain runs

A small stream my fly pole and a wooly bugger .

Nice pictures guys- makes me want to tick some ppl off today and get a pole out!

Mill lac’s lake has some truly outstanding small mouth fishing, not sure what the regs say nowadays but your chance of taking a trophy is high

Can also try the rum river which also has a nice population of good size small mouths

Mill lac’s has numerous guides and the rum has a few that specialize in small mouths or it’s not so hard to do it all yourself if you have a bit of knowledge of the fish and what it likes

Used to be my Ma’S favorite fish to catch, but she was the only one who liked eating the things

Maybe not as good eating, but smallmouths fight much harder than walleyes.

Jim

Some river Smallies

Nice!

Jim

True but then I don’t eat either, personally can’t stand fish

But if ya want fight try sturgeon, pound for pound I don’t think there’s any equal

I'd put a fresh sockeye salmon up against your sturgeon.

Freshwater fish generally aren't as fast or strong as saltwater fish. There's good reason they recommend an eight-weight fly rod on bonefish that average 2-3 pounds.

Jim