The nation’s top lakes and rivers for fishing

Every avid fisherman or angler has a favorite fishing hole, but there’s no denying the subjectivity of the ranking. You can weigh the pros and cons of types of fish and the relative beauty of the waterway. But if you fished this stream for your entire happy childhood, no need for spreadsheets. It’s your favorite, right?

So out of curiosity, we took a look at various fishing experts’ “best fishing spots” lists. And once we’d dismissed the opinions of people whose geographic blunders include placing the Truckee River in Central California, we landed on Abu Garcia’s list of the top 100 fishing destinations in the United States. The fishing reel and equipment manufacturer is nothing if not thorough, giving shoutouts to waterways from New York to Alabama, Wisconsin and California.

Lake St. Clair, for example, which straddles the Canadian border near Michigan, came in at No. 2 for a summer season that offers plenty of smallmouth bass, lake trout, Chinook salmon, steelhead and more. And if you’re looking for a fishing destination for May, they suggest Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga (No. 10) for its largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and striped bass. Those are fish that lake has in common with our own Clear Lake (No. 8, great for summer frolic).

Also on the California list: the California Delta (No. 15), Tahoe (No. 41), Mammoth Lakes Basin (No. 100) and more.

Find the full list, along with fishing details and vacation timing, at www.abugarcia.com/abu-100-years. Here’s a peek at the top 10.

Abu Garcia’s top 10 fishing destinations

1. St. Lawrence River, New York

2. Lake St. Clair, Michigan

3. Lake Erie, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan

4. Red River, North Dakota and Minnesota

5. Santee Cooper, South Carolina

6. Lake Guntersville, Alabama

7. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas

8. Clear Lake, California

9. Lake Fork, Texas

10. Lake Chickamauga, Tennessee