Brett Billings / USFWS · Public domain
Species guide
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
A bronze-toned bass strongly associated with clear water, rock and current, though appearance changes with habitat and age.
Habitat
Clear, cooler lakes and rocky or gravel-bottom rivers, runs and pools.
Habitat supports a shortlist; it does not prove an identity. Water bodies change seasonally, and introduced populations may occur outside the best-known native setting.
Range
Native to the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi systems; introduced in many regions.
Check a current state, provincial or national fisheries record before making a high-confidence range claim. Drainage boundaries are more informative than political borders.
Compare carefully
Use several structures together. A reddish eye or bronze color can support an identification but should never decide it alone.
When a decisive structure is hidden, record the observation as probable or unresolved. An honest uncertainty is more useful than a precise label built from incomplete evidence.
Responsible observation
Include the jaw-to-eye relationship, dorsal-fin connection and several vertical flank marks in one sharp frame.
For a live fish, prepare the camera first, use wet hands when handling is unavoidable, support the body and return it promptly according to local rules.