Species profile
Florida Bass
Micropterus salmoides
At a glance
Florida Bass (Micropterus salmoides) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 31 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (Ontario); the most generous is 20 (Wyoming).
Across 16 jurisdictions with stated minimum sizes, the average minimum is 13.4 in (≈ 1 ft 1 in).
Confirmed by 4,235 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Grows faster and reaches larger sizes than northern largemouth bass in warm climates.
- Widely stocked in Texas, California, and other states to create trophy fisheries.
- Has more lateral-line scales than the northern largemouth bass — a key ID trait.
- Naturally found in the Florida peninsula and portions of Georgia and South Carolina.
- Florida strain fish have exceeded 20 pounds in managed trophy fisheries.
Where Florida Bass are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Florida Bass
Background
The Florida bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a black bass belonging to the sunfish family Centrarchidae of order Centrarchiformes. It is found in the southeastern United States.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Florida Bass article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.