Where quality of life is high, scenery is awe inspiring, and the next hook-set into a bronze block always seems just a minute away.
April 21, 2025
By Matt Straw
What could be more delightful than a boatload of quality smallmouths in a gorgeous setting? Living there, that’s what. So we called people who live in the smallmouth Edens we’ve been to where quality of life is high, scenery is awe inspiring, and the next hook-set into a bronze block always seems just a minute away.
We’ll let you research most of the financial details like cost of living, average cost of homes, business diversity, etc. If you’re moving there, you’re doing that anyway. If smallmouth bass haunt your dreams, these are just some of the very best of the very best places where one might go to live the dream. Pretty country, outstanding fish.
Sunset Country Unpressured waters with abundant smallmouths and stunning scenery make Sunset Country a favorite for bass pro Jeff Gustafson. Northwest Ontario is affectionately referred to by its happy inhabitants as Sunset Country. If fishing in solitude surrounded by scenic beauty are your main qualifications for paradise, this be the place.
“Obviously, I’m biased about living in Sunset Country,” says 2023 Bassmaster Classic champion Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson. “Having Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake nearby as I grew up, these lakes influenced my pursuit of a career as a bass tournament angler. In addition to these two big lakes, we have countless other smaller bodies of water way off the radar that host fantastic smallmouth fishing, giving us a variety of environments to fish. We have clear water, stained water, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, grass, rocks, and a multitude of forage options. All of it helped me become a well-rounded angler.”
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The human population is low and so is fishing pressure. “There are few places where smallmouths are as easy to catch as they are in Sunset Country,” Gustafson said. “And when you consider the scenery, remoteness, and the other species that you run into as well, it’s paradise. While we don’t have the giants like you see on the Great Lakes, we have huge numbers of 3- and 4-pound smallmouths on most waters. I always enjoy sharing how you can catch smallmouths on topwaters from mid-May through mid-October, every day. Not many places where you can do that.”
Some great resorts are found around the region for anglers that just want to show up and go fishing. “For anglers that want to bring a boat and do their own thing the bigger lakes are mapped and fun to figure out,” Gustafson said. “There are plenty of fish and they aren’t hard to find. Having traveled all over North America to fish for smallmouths, there are truly so many great places. It’s fun going to the Great Lakes and having a shot at 6- and 7-pound fish, but then the wind can take the fun out of those places real quick. Inland fisheries in Minnesota and New York continue to kick out great fishing reports as well. In my mind, though, it’s tough to beat fishing in Sunset Country.”
World-class fishing for muskies, lake trout, brookies, pike, and walleyes abounds in Sunset Country. And you’ll see the most beautiful sunsets imaginable. [Sunset Country; visitsunsetcountry.com ; 800/665-7567; Kenora Chamber, kenorachamber.com , 807/464-6130]
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Finger Lakes Bass pro Jared Lintner hoists a hefty smallmouth at a Major League Fishing tournament at Cayuga Lake in 2023. Set at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is known for natural beauty. Then again, most towns in the region are elegant and picturesque. Beautiful wooded hills and valleys surround all 11 Finger Lakes, all have smallmouths, and all are open year-round for bass fishing with catch-and-release regulations in place part of the year.
“We always refer visitors to the many waterfalls and scenic gorges in the area,” says Hannah Barden, Visitor Experience Specialist with the Tomkins Chamber of Commerce. “Downtown Ithaca has lots of artsy stuff and local shops, with tons of different cuisines—Ethiopian, Asian, classic American, Italian—we’re very fortunate that way. Scenic highways surround the area overlooking the water. We have a wide variety of trails. Cascadilla Gorge Trail is really cool. The trail head is in Ithaca and it concludes at Cornell University, with eight cascading waterfalls along the stone steps and trails. One minute you’re in Ithaca and the next you’re in wilderness.”
Cayuga Lake is the second-largest of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. It’s 38 miles long and covers 42,956 acres, with a maximum depth of 435 feet. The lake has a two-tier sportfish population that includes rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, brown trout, lake trout, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, pike, bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch, and channel catfish. And the smallmouth fishing is nothing short of spectacular.
Major League Fishing held a tournament on Cayuga in June, 2023. Among all my vicarious smallmouth fishing experiences on TV, I can’t remember anything more galvanic. Adrian Avena won with a big fish of 6.2 pounds and a total weight of over 58 pounds for two days. The lake has great largemouth fishing as well, but the leaders targeted smallmouths and only rarely caught one under 4 pounds. The average bass taken was 3 pounds 11 ounces, and four pros—Jared Lintner, Takahiro Omori, Marty Robinson, and Jacob Wheeler—all weighed bass over 7 pounds. In the Championship Round, out of 10 anglers, only one failed to boat a smallmouth over 5 pounds while three weighed specimens topping 6.
Though several bloggers say they prefer fishing some of the other Finger Lakes for smallmouths, Cayuga is chock full of lifetime bests. Maybe because recently, the round goby—an exotic species—established a thriving population there, which has been a major factor in producing giant smallmouths in the Great Lakes and connected waters. Bass can also target alewives, rainbow smelt, gizzard shad, shiners, perch, and bluegills on Cayuga.
Thomas Russell Jr. set the New York state record with an 8-pound 6-ounce specimen on Cayuga in June, 2022. Bass pros tell me there are even bigger smallmouths to be had in Cayuga. [Tompkins County Chamber, tompkinschamber.org , 607/272-1313]
The 45th Parallel Minnesota also is a smallmouth mecca. Many lakes and rivers in the north-central to northern regions of the state can produce personal bests. In 2016, Bruce Kraemer stepped out of his cottage in Michigan and tossed a nightcrawler into the Indian River. He felt an immediate take. Some anxious minutes later he banked a 9.98-pound smallmouth—a shade under 10 pounds and the current state record. The previous record belonged to Greg Gasiciel, who pulled a 9.33-pounder out of Hubbard Lake in October 2015 with a green grub. And in May, 2023, Todd Vydick—fishing with guide Cody Johnson—hauled a 9.3-pound smallmouth from a lake near Traverse City. That goliath inhaled a tube.
While the Grand Traverse Bays have been known for fantastic smallmouth fishing for decades, these fish came from much smaller waters near the 45th parallel (which is halfway between the equator and the north pole).
“Basically the 45th parallel all across Michigan produces world-class smallmouth fishing,” says David Rose, a smallmouth guide living in Traverse City. “For some reason that 44th to 46th parallel zone is a perfect environment for smallmouths. When you look at all those records coming out of Michigan recently, they all came from that zone. Even the old record from around 1910 was from that same area. From Mackinaw City to Cadillac, smallmouths inhabit almost every lake. The next record may come from Big Platte Lake, Big Glen, Little Glen, Crystal, but it could just as easily come from any of the smaller lakes around here.”
Dune country is one of the most spectacular places in North America. Sleeping Bear National Park surrounds the biggest sand dunes on earth, and those forested dunes overlook gorgeous emerald and sapphire lakes with crystal clear water. “I had a client pull an 81/2-pound smallie out of one of those dune lakes,” Rose said. “He caught it fly fishing with a Clouser Minnow in October 15 years ago. I’ve had several clients catch bass over 7 pounds. Myself—I can’t catch one that big. My two biggest are around 6.8.
“I never guided on Grand Traverse Bay but I fish it for fun. It’s a gorgeous place but the bass are getting pressured. So many people are focused on it now. Compared to 15 years ago, it’s much harder to catch one over 5 pounds now. Fishing pressure—the fish are there, but not as aggressive as in the past. You can still have a 50-fish day but most are around 2 pounds. Its those small to mid-size lakes of 70 to 2,500 acres that are producing some huge bass all through this region.”
Many lakes along the 45th parallel have outlet streams that enter lakes Michigan and Lake Huron. “Gobies are getting into those inland lakes,” Rose said. “Anything connected to the Great Lakes has gobies—one reason the smallmouths have exploded in size.”
The drive from Traverse City to Petosky along Lake Michigan is all kinds of gorgeous, passing Elk, Torch, and Charlevoix lakes—which are huge and full of smallmouths, though getting tougher because so many tournaments are held there. But muskie, walleye, pike, and largemouth fishing can be excellent at times. The rivers have steelhead fall through spring. Salmon run there and thrive in Lake Michigan along with lakers, browns, and whitefish.
“We’ve got all kinds of opportunities for entertainment here,” Rose said. “A lot of great restaurants dot the region, often nestled into beautiful scenery. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.” [Traverse City, traversecity.com , 231/947-1120 or 800/872-8377]
Green Bay Captain Bret Alexander guides clients to giant smallmouths and other species of big proportions on Green Bay. Following the 45th parallel west eventually leads to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where famous bass guide Bret Alexander has personally caught 8 or so smallmouths over 7 pounds every spring in recent years. “I’ve probably caught 50 or so over 7 in the past 7 years,” he said. “A competitor in the Sturgeon Bay Open caught an 8.6 a couple years ago.”
Somebody is going to pop a 9 there soon. “Sturgeon Bay is churning out 8-pounders,” says Dan Elsner, bass pro and owner of Get Bit Tackle. “I caught one about 8.5 in August last year. Couldn’t straighten itself out in the livewell, which is 24 x 24 inches. I’ve caught 17 over 7 pounds, most from Green Bay. I’m 10 minutes from the mouth of the Fox River, which can produce a lot of bass over 5 pounds.”
In all of Door County you’ll find no chain restaurants or stores. The villages are quaint, the eateries are unique, the businesses are all locally owned and surrounded by forested hills.
The Bay and its tributaries have excellent fishing for muskies, walleyes, perch, whitefish, steelhead and brown trout. “You can catch 2.5-pound perch,” Elsner said. “I love it here. Green Bay is a small city. Cost of living is low for a city this size. It doesn’t have a lot of night life. It’s a ‘country city.’ Ten minutes away you’re deep in the woods. I never plan on leaving. Nearby Big Green Lake is one of the deepest lakes in the United States with tremendous smallmouth fishing. It’s all gorgeous rocky bluffs. We have a lot of beautiful countryside around Green Bay where you can target lakers, brookies, salmon, and steelhead in completely unique environments.” [Green Bay Chamber, greatergbc.org, 920/593-3400; Discover Green Bay, greenbay.com , 888/867-3342]
Lewiston Captain Frank Campbell says any cast into the famous smallmouth waters around Lewiston, New York, can bring a personal best. Lewiston, New York, might be the most heavenly of all smallmouth paradises on the continent. It’s on the Niagara River, nestled between two of earth’s highest quality smallmouth environs—Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The village is quaint and quiet, dotted with unique eateries, and only an hour from Buffalo.
Mighty Niagara Falls is just a few minutes away. The Niagara Gorge is magnificent, its huge bluffs chiseled by the currents of the river over thousands of years. The Niagara drains all the upper Great Lakes, and the Falls—over 740 feet high—dumps over 3,100 tons of water into the lower river every second. Scenery simply doesn’t get much better.
Attending Captain Frank Campbell’s annual sponsor-appreciation week as a media guest in Lewiston, I jumped on a sporty center console captained by Mark Davis, TV host of BigWater Adventures. “I never miss this trip,” he said. We fished a 200-yard stretch of the Niagara for about 6 hours—the same stretch Davis haunted the previous two days. We touched more than 80 smallmouths averaging well over 3 pounds. Meanwhile, down by the mouth of the river in front of Fort Niagara, a friend bagged a 7-pounder.
“Any cast could result in your personal-best smallmouth from March until January,” Campbell said. “Anywhere you cast over hundreds of square miles surrounding Lewiston could make you the next state record holder. Trophies are definitely here. There was a guy fishing a Canadian tournament in U.S. water that caught a 9 and there have been several 8-pound-plus fish taken recently.”
Campbell’s party had one of the best years ever this spring. “It was a great jerkbait bite,” he said. “Lots of 6- to 7-pounders. Lots and lots of 5s. Smallmouths are growing—numbers might be down a little bit, but size is up. Scenery is very cool—pretty diverse on Lake Erie. You’ve got high bluff walls, big hills, and sometimes an urban setting takes up the background. It’s a rich area for history. Fort Niagara was captured by the British in the War of 1812.
“I love the opportunity to fish in very diverse environments within a half-hour,” Campbell added. “You could be at the base of Niagara Falls and within half an hour be out on Lake Ontario. Lewiston has everything you want, from access to the river to diverse eateries—no reason to leave. Shopping, fine restaurants, art galleries, casinos—all within 5 miles. The night life is exciting. We live for summer—we have the most gorgeous weather that enables us to fish the big water or the river—long stretches of great weather.”
Yeah. I’ve been on Campbell’s boat in January, when the water temperature was below zero and the Niagara was choked with ice floes. But, man, did we net some beautiful steelhead. [Upward Niagara Chamber, upwardniagara.com , 716/754-9500; Niagara Falls USA, niagarafallsusa.com , 716/282-8992]
The Dalles The Columbia River is absolutely the West’s greatest smallmouth paradise, says bass pro David Swendseid. David Swendseid is the North America R&D Specialist and Strategic Operations Manager for the Japanese lure company Dranckrazy. He’s an accomplished professional bass angler with two top-5 finishes in the APEX Pro Tour. He’s also a trophy bass hunter once holding Oregon’s smallmouth state record.
“The Columbia River is absolutely the West’s greatest smallmouth paradise by a long shot,” Swendseid said. “Literally several hundred miles of smallmouth nirvana surrounded by vistas of magnificent scenery. The width of the river varies from 1/4 mile to 6 miles, displaying stunning landscapes on both sides of the Dalles—the Columbia Gorge.
“The wildlife is vivid and abundant,” he added. “Falcons, foxes, deer, bighorn sheep, and elk abound. The Columbia River has an actual green belt dividing the Gorge where you can literally see desert-like landscape that butts up against a near solid line of greenery and trees—like a rain forest next to a desert. Heavier moisture on one side and arid conditions on the other. The river has heavy to soft current lines and is littered with many backwater areas with river and creek confluences, allowing you to put together a shallow-water or deep-water game plan.
“The fishery itself is layered with teaming schools of smallmouth bass ranging from 1 to 8 pounds. My biggest is 7 pounds 2 ounces. I’ve caught more than 30 bass over 6 pounds, but average size is in the 2- to 4-pound range. Its an amazing fishery. Put in a full day and you can catch 100.” [Portland Metro Chamber, portlandmetrochamber.com , 503/224-8684; Explore the Dalles, explorethedalles.com , 541/296-2231].
In-Fisherman Field Editor Matt Straw is an inductee of the National Fresh Water Fishing and Minnesota Fishing halls of fame. A smallmouth authority, he lives and writes from his hometown in the smallmouth-rich region of north-central Minnesota.
