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Fun Facts
Did You Know?
Spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) belong to the sunfish family Centrarchidae, the same family that includes largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, and crappie. French naturalist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque officially described the species in 1819 from specimens collected in the Ohio River, giving them the species name punctulatus — Latin for "dotted" — which refers to the rows of small dark spots along the lower sides that distinguish them from both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Nobody actually recognized spotted bass as distinct from smallmouth bass until 1927, which means…
If This Animal Could Talk...
"Watch closely, respect my space, and let my habitat explain the rest of the story."
Every bass angler in North Louisiana has caught a spotted bass and called them a largemouth. Nearly everyone has done the reverse, too. Spotted bass occupy that frustrating middle ground in the black bass family — too similar to largemouth for casual identification, too different in habits and habitat to fish the same way, and just obscure enough that most people never learn the difference until somebody corrects them at a boat ramp. In Louisiana, anglers have called them Kentucky bass for generations, a name that stuck from the days before taxonomists sorted out the genetics and realized that the fish living in North Louisiana’s creeks and rivers represented something distinct from the largemouth empire that dominates the state’s lakes and impoundments.
A Few More Facts
How they hunt and forage: In North Louisiana, that description applies to hundreds of miles of creek and river habitat: Corney Creek, Bayou D'Arbonne's upper reaches, the tributaries feeding into Caney Lake and Lake Claiborne, the Dugdemona River, Saline Bayou, and essentially any clear-running creek with a gravel bottom and decent canopy cover. In a reservoir like D'Arbonne or Claiborne, spotted bass frequently hold along rocky points, channel ledges, and the mouths of feeder creeks where moving water enters the lake. How They Feed.
Live birth or eggs? no
When young are born: See the detailed species sections below.
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Accessibility
Accessibility
This article covers the identification, habitat, behavior, and fishing methods for spotted bass in North Louisiana. Readers seeking current fishing regulations should consult LDWF's recreational fishing regulations page for current size limits, bag limits, and season information.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spotted Bass live in North Louisiana?
Yes. Every bass angler in North Louisiana has caught a spotted bass and called them a largemouth. In Louisiana, anglers have called them Kentucky bass for generations, a name that stuck from the days before taxonomists sorted out the genetics and realized that the fish living in North Louisiana's creeks and rivers represented something distinct from the largemouth empire that dominates the state's lakes and impoundments.
The spotted bass swimming through North Louisiana creeks belong to the northern spotted bass, the nominate subspecies, occupying the heart of the species' native range in the Mississippi River basin.
How do you identify Spotted Bass?
Every bass angler in North Louisiana has caught a spotted bass and called them a largemouth. Nearly everyone has done the reverse, too. Spotted bass occupy that frustrating middle ground in the black bass family — too similar to largemouth for casual identification, too different in habits and habitat to fish the same way, and just obscure enough that most people never learn the difference until somebody corrects them at a boat ramp.
What does Spotted Bass eat?
In North Louisiana, that description applies to hundreds of miles of creek and river habitat: Corney Creek, Bayou D'Arbonne's upper reaches, the tributaries feeding into Caney Lake and Lake Claiborne, the Dugdemona River, Saline Bayou, and essentially any clear-running creek with a gravel bottom and decent canopy cover. In a reservoir like D'Arbonne or Claiborne, spotted bass frequently hold along rocky points, channel ledges, and the mouths of feeder creeks where moving water enters the lake. How They Feed.
Is Spotted Bass dangerous to people?
No. This species is not dangerous to people when it is observed without handling or disturbance
