Find Fishing Spots Near You: How To Find The Best Fishing Spots

How To Find Bass Fishing Spots

Finding new places to catch bass can be a daunting task for a beginner angler. Most fishermen don't want to give away their favorite fishing hole for fear of it getting overfished and ruining it for them.

Find Fishing Locations With Google Maps and Google Earth

My personal go to for finding new bodies of water to fish for bass is Google Maps/Google Earth! Some of the best fishing holes I've found have been by simply exploring Google Earth.

I usually use the terrain map to search for nearby ponds, streams, and lakes to check out. The terrain layer in Google Maps makes it super easy to find new bodies of water because water sources are highlighted in blue.

Ask On Social Media Sites And Fishing Forums For Fishing Spots

Ask around on local fishing forums and social media sites, let people know you're trying to learn how to fish for bass and are looking for fishing spots to check out. While it's unlikely anyone will provide an exact location, they will at least give you a general area to start in, knowing there are fish in the pond.

Fishing Apps

If I'm in an area I've never fished before, and just want to know some of the more common spots to check out first, I'll use one of the popular fishing apps that show catch locations. These apps often allow anglers to share their catch with other users on the platform by uploading a picture and the catch location.

The only problem with finding places to fish using a fishing app is that the locations are posted publicly, therefore they are often heavily fished. It's likely you'll see everyone and their brother out there on the weekend chunking senkos, whopper ploppers, and walking frogs in those areas. This doesn't mean that fishing apps are not useful, it just means that those specific spots can be more difficult to get fish to bite. It's a good idea to take the general location of the majority of catch locations, and then explore the surrounding area for those money holes!

How To Know If There Are Bass In A Pond

The best way to find out if there are fish in a body of water is to, well, actually go and fish it! Take some of your confidence baits, and go throw them in that body of water. If you get a bite, it's safe to say there are fish in the pond!

If you're unable to fish a pond or lake for some reason, take note of the ecosystem. Are there any streams of water coming into it? Is there any vegetation? Do you see any other wildlife hanging around it? Are there nearby bodies of water?

How do fish end up in ponds and lakes?

Some states have fish stocking programs for bass, trout, walleye, catfish, salmon, and other aquatic species. It is also common to stock bream or bluegill and other bait fish to feed the bass naturally, creating a healthier ecosystem for them to live in. Chances are your lake or pond has been stock at some point in time.

If your body of water was never stocked by humans, then they could very well have swam in from a now dried up creek or stream. Though it is also possible that the fish in a pond were imported by a bird or other animal accidentally dropping their catch or piece of vegetation with attached fish eggs into the body of water.

Check With Your Local Department Of Fish And Wildlife

Your department of fish and wildlife should have a website where you can find local rules and regulations for both statewide and specific lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds. Generally they will list the names of particular areas within their rulebook, thus, providing you with some places to fish!

Oftentimes, they will even have articles such as this one that directly list out places to fish. They may even list any amenities, boat ramps, restroom access, and directions on how to get there. It's definitely worth checking out your state's DFW if your looking for new places to fish.

Search Local Bass Fishing Tournament Listings

Yet another great way to find places to catch some bass is by searching for local bass fishing tournaments in your area! Check out the lakes they are hosting the tournaments at, as you can't have a bass fishing tournament if there aren't any bass!

Wrapping Up

No matter where you live, there are likely bass fishing spots nearby that you don't even know about. By using the tips in this guide, you can learn how to find the best fishing spots near you. Finding new places to fish provides a sense of adventure, giving you a reason to get out of the house and explore your area. You may not always find success in catching fish while checking out a new spot, but that's why they call it fishing, not catching. If it were that easy, it would lose its excitement! So get out there, meet other anglers, and have fun fishing for bass!