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The Florida Largemouth Bass

Florida Largemouth Bass is retained here under its familiar inventory name. Modern Florida fisheries guidance uses Florida Bass and the scientific name Micropterus salmoides for this species.

Naming and Identification

The inventory’s Micropterus floridanus is treated as a synonym in the current fish catalog. Florida fisheries guidance distinguishes Florida Bass from Largemouth Bass while noting that appearance alone does not reliably separate them. A photograph should therefore not be used to certify pure ancestry.

Habitat and Food

Fish occur throughout Florida in lakes and rivers, often around vegetation or submerged structure. Schooling fish also use open lake water. Adults eat fishes, crustaceans and larger insects, while tiny young begin with zooplankton before adding small fish.

Nests and Size

Males fan out nests and protect eggs and fry. The agency lists a certified Florida record of 17.27 pounds and notes larger uncertified fish. That is a regional record category, not a global species maximum; an implausibly small compiled length is excluded.

Keep the Record Category

A certified state record and a biological maximum are different claims. Retain the location and certification context when presenting Florida Bass weights.

All Lakes With Florida Largemouth Bass

Browse lakes and reservoirs with documented Florida Largemouth Bass records, listed alphabetically. Records do not establish current abundance or public access. Check the evidence and managing authority for the water you choose.

Showing 1–24 of 329 lakes · Page 1 of 14

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