Largemouth Bass Identification Guide
How to identify a Largemouth Bass and tell it from the Smallmouth Bass.
Read the full Largemouth Bass encyclopedia entry →
The Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) is North America's most popular game fish and is frequently confused with the Smallmouth Bass.
Key identification features
- A large mouth whose jaw extends past the back of the eye — the single best diagnostic feature.
- A dark horizontal stripe or blotchy band running along the midline of the body.
- Greenish body with a lighter belly.
- A deep notch nearly separating the spiny and soft dorsal fins.
Largemouth vs. Smallmouth Bass
- Mouth: on a Smallmouth, the jaw ends below the eye, not past it.
- Color: Smallmouth are bronze/brown with vertical bars, not a horizontal stripe.
- Dorsal fin: Smallmouth have a shallow notch, so the dorsal looks more continuous.
Where you'll see one
Largemouth Bass favor warm, weedy lakes, ponds, and slow rivers. If the jaw extends past the eye and there is a horizontal side stripe on a green fish, it is a Largemouth.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a Largemouth from a Smallmouth Bass?
On a Largemouth the jaw extends past the rear of the eye and it has a horizontal side stripe; a Smallmouth's jaw ends below the eye and it shows vertical bars.
What color is a Largemouth Bass?
Greenish above with a pale belly and a dark, often blotchy horizontal stripe along the side.
Largemouth Bass identified by the community
Recent Largemouth Bass catches identified with Fish Identifier.
