Aquaculture - Finfish
Largemouth Bass

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Largemouth Bass | Hybrid Striped Bass | Hake | Trout | Haddock | Perch Flounder | Koi

The native range of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) includes the lower Great Lakes, the central part of the Mississippi River system south to the Gulf Coast, Florida and north on the Atlantic coast to Virginia. As a result of its popularity as a game fish, the largemouth bass may now be the most widely introduced of fish in North America. It occurs over virtually the entire Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, west to Texas and northeastern Mexico, north through the eastern parts of the states from New Mexico to North Dakota and east across southern Canada to western New York. Additionally, it has been introduced throughout the UK, Europe, South Africa, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Brazil. Largemouth bass are widely distributed throughout Massachusetts occurring in all 32 watersheds.

Largemouth bass are predominantly found in shallow, small lakes and bays of larger lakes and in large, sluggish rivers. In all cases, they generally occur over soft substrates typically associated with structure. Largemouth bass feed from the surface, water column and bottom on a variety of food items. Young bass eat primarily aquatic insects with fish, mollusks and crayfish playing an important role in the diets of adults. Largemouth bass spawn from late spring through mid-summer as water temperatures approach 60° F. Males construct a 2-3 foot nest over gravel in shallow, protected areas which they defend vigorously. A single female may produce from 2,000 to 10,000 eggs and may spawn with several males on different nests. As with other sunfish species, the male defends the nest and fans the eggs to ensure they are well oxygenated. Eggs generally hatch within a week to ten days. The fry remain in a brood guarded by the male for several weeks prior to dispersal.

Largemouth bass are cultured at private facilities for recreational fishing on site and for stocking into private ponds. Under culture conditions, largemouth bass may be spawned and reared artificially or allowed to reproduce in culture ponds with the resultant young moved to other ponds for grow-out. Optimal temperature for growth of largemouth bass is between 75 and 86° F. Although largemouth bass may survive short exposures to pH as low as 4.0, for best growth, pH should remain between 6.5 and 8.5. As with pH, largemouth bass can survive brief exposure to low dissolved oxygen levels, optimal growth however, occurs at dissolved oxygen levels above 5.0 ppm.

*Information found at the "White Paper Project"


White Paper Strategic Plan Industry Permit Assitance Technical Assistance Marketing Aquaculture Education Legislative Projects Grants Program Shellfish & Finfish	Aquaculture - Finfish Largemouth Bass Quahogs \| Oysters \| Soft Shell Clams \| Mussels \| Scallops \| Crayfish Largemouth Bass \| Hybrid Striped Bass \| Hake \| Trout \| Haddock \| Perch Flounder \| Koi The native range of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) includes the lower Great Lakes, the central part of the Mississippi River system south to the Gulf Coast, Florida and north on the Atlantic coast to Virginia. As a result of its popularity as a game fish, the largemouth bass may now be the most widely introduced of fish in North America. It occurs over virtually the entire Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, west to Texas and northeastern Mexico, north through the eastern parts of the states from New Mexico to North Dakota and east across southern Canada to western New York. Additionally, it has been introduced throughout the UK, Europe, South Africa, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Brazil. Largemouth bass are widely distributed throughout Massachusetts occurring in all 32 watersheds. Largemouth bass are predominantly found in shallow, small lakes and bays of larger lakes and in large, sluggish rivers. In all cases, they generally occur over soft substrates typically associated with structure. Largemouth bass feed from the surface, water column and bottom on a variety of food items. Young bass eat primarily aquatic insects with fish, mollusks and crayfish playing an important role in the diets of adults. Largemouth bass spawn from late spring through mid-summer as water temperatures approach 60° F. Males construct a 2-3 foot nest over gravel in shallow, protected areas which they defend vigorously. A single female may produce from 2,000 to 10,000 eggs and may spawn with several males on different nests. As with other sunfish species, the male defends the nest and fans the eggs to ensure they are well oxygenated. Eggs generally hatch within a week to ten days. The fry remain in a brood guarded by the male for several weeks prior to dispersal. Largemouth bass are cultured at private facilities for recreational fishing on site and for stocking into private ponds. Under culture conditions, largemouth bass may be spawned and reared artificially or allowed to reproduce in culture ponds with the resultant young moved to other ponds for grow-out. Optimal temperature for growth of largemouth bass is between 75 and 86° F. Although largemouth bass may survive short exposures to pH as low as 4.0, for best growth, pH should remain between 6.5 and 8.5. As with pH, largemouth bass can survive brief exposure to low dissolved oxygen levels, optimal growth however, occurs at dissolved oxygen levels above 5.0 ppm. *Information found at the "White Paper Project"