Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
For largemouth and smallmouth bass, minimum length limit = 14 inches. No minimum length limit for 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 Texoma
Rocky bluffs, riprap, standing timber, stump beds, channels and sandy flats provide cover; aquatic vegetation is limited.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD describes crappie near docks, trees and brush, striped bass around river channels and shad schools, and black bass around shoreline structure. Blue and channel catfish take cut or natural baits; flatheads are commonly targeted with live bait.
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 ↗