Kyle Welcher will have a chance to repeat at the Pasquotank River/Albermarle Sound next year when the Elite Series heads there in June.
July 21, 2025
By BassFan Staff The schedule for the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series season was announced Monday and it includes nine events across six states between early February and late August.
"This is one of the most well-rounded Elite Series schedules we’ve ever built,” said Chase Anderson, CEO of B.A.S.S. “We’re hitting iconic fisheries, revisiting challenging venues we haven’t seen in a decade or more and returning to some fan-favorite locations. This lineup will not only push our anglers to their limits but also deliver incredible action for fans both on the water and watching from home.”
Of the nine stops on the schedule, eight have previously hosted Elite Series tournaments. The schedule features two sets of back-to-back tournaments, including the opening pair of events in early February at Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala., Feb. 5-8 followed by a stop at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Ala., Feb. 12-15.
Following the Bassmaster Classic on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, Tenn., March 13-15, the 2026 season will resume with the Elite Series’ first-ever visit to Columbus, Miss., and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway from March 26-29.
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After a stop at the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla., in mid-April, the scene will shift to South Carolina for back-to-back derbies in May at Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C., and Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County.
A June stop at the Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound in Elizabeth City, N.C., where Kyle Welcher won by more than 45 pounds this year, will be followed by a two-month break before the season wraps up at Lake Champlain (Aug. 13-16; Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and the St. Lawrence River (Aug. 27-30; Clayton, N.Y.). 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
> Feb. 5-8: Lake Guntersville (Scottsboro, Ala.)
