Spotted Bass
Micropterus punctulatus
Spotted bass count toward the same five-fish combined black bass daily bag as largemouth; no minimum length for spotted bass.
Identify your catch
Rows of small dark spots below the lateral band help distinguish spotted bass. Confirm with the official bass identification guide.
Habitat on Sam Rayburn
Documented by TPWD lake records and fisheries surveys; habitat overlaps with the reservoir’s timber and channel structure.
Fishing approach
Approach as a structure-oriented bass species; exact seasonal patterns for this lake were not independently established.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
OVER 16 inches: women of childbearing age and children under 12 — DO NOT EAT; adult men and women past childbearing age — no more than 2 eight-ounce meals per month.
Harvest permission and eating restrictions are separate.
General species guide
Generally uses more current than largemouth bass. Its diet includes fish and crayfish.
General Spotted Bass profile →Sources & lake evidence
TPWD Sam Rayburn lake guide and historical water-body records. Records establish occurrence, not current abundance.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Species identification ↗