Spotted Bass
Micropterus punctulatus
No minimum length for spotted bass; 5 black bass combined daily.
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 B. A. Steinhagen
Flooded timber, cypress and vegetation in turbid water.
Fishing approach
Bass: work vegetation with crankbaits, spinnerbaits or low-light topwater. Crappie: spring jigs and minnows. Catfish: cut bait for blue/channel; live bait for flathead. Sunfish: small jigs or crickets.
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 — at most 2 eight-ounce meals/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
Occurrence documented in the TPWD lake guide, fisheries survey or historical records. Historical evidence does not establish present abundance. Current harvest rules were checked separately from older survey regulations.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Fisheries survey · species evidence ↗Species identification ↗