Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
For largemouth bass there is no minimum length limit, only two largemouth bass less than 18 inches may be retained each day. For smallmouth bass (if present), minimum length limit = 14 inches. No minimum length limit on Alabama, Guadalupe and spotted bass. Daily bag limit for all black bass species is 5 in any combination.
Identify your catch
Green to bronze coloration with dark vertical markings. Upper jaw ends at or before the eye rather than extending behind it. Avoid identifying hybrids from one feature alone.
Habitat on O.H. Ivie
Extensive flooded mesquite, oak, juniper and saltcedar, aquatic vegetation and rocky main-lake structure provide cover.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: Fish bass near vegetation and standing wood; jigs or plastics suit saltcedar. Catfish take live or cut bait; trolling crankbaits is suggested for white bass near the dam.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
No active lake-specific advisory or possession ban was named in the reviewed DSHS directory. This does not guarantee that fish are safe to eat.
Harvest permission and eating restrictions are separate.
General species guide
Prefers clear, deeper lakes and cool streams with gravel. Young feed on small invertebrates; larger fish take fish and crayfish.
General Smallmouth Bass profile →Sources & lake evidence
TPWD lake guide and reviewed fisheries evidence establish the listed species or group. Historical survey records do not establish current abundance.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Fisheries survey · species evidence ↗Species identification ↗