Smallmouth Bass vs Spotted Bass
The check that settles it
Spotted bass has spot rows below the lateral line and a tongue tooth patch; smallmouth has neither.
Why this matters beyond curiosity
- Look-alike species often carry different limits. Walleye and sauger, black and white crappie, pike and muskie, blue and channel catfish — each pair can have different sizes, seasons and daily limits in the same water.
- Check it before the fish goes in the livewell. Most of the tests on this site take seconds and are far easier on a fish you are still holding.
- If you cannot tell, release it. That is the answer that is never wrong, and it is the one a warden will not argue with.
- Regulations are set by your state or province and change annually. This site identifies fish; it does not tell you the rules. Check the current regulations for the water you are on.
Smallmouth Bass
Black bassMicropterus dolomieu
- Markings
- vertical bars
- Body
- torpedo
- Typical size
- 1–5 lb
- Regulations
- Smallmouth frequently carry different limits from largemouth, and many rivers have catch-and-release or slot regulations specifically for them.
Spotted Bass
Black bassMicropterus punctulatus
- Markings
- horizontal stripe, spots
- Body
- torpedo
- Typical size
- 1–4 lb
- Regulations
- Many states count spotted bass separately or exclude them from black bass limits entirely, and some encourage removal where they compete with native smallmouth. Worth checking specifically.
Confirming a smallmouth bass
- Upper jaw ends at or before the rear edge of the eye.
- Dark vertical bars rather than a horizontal stripe.
- Bronze or brown-gold cast, not green.
- Dorsal fin continuous, only shallowly notched.
- Red or orange eye in many populations.
Confirming a spotted bass
- Rows of small dark spots below the lateral line — neither of the other black bass has these.
- A rough patch of tiny teeth on the tongue. Run a finger over it; largemouth and smallmouth are smooth.
- Upper jaw ends roughly level with the rear of the eye — between the other two.
- Dorsal fin shallowly notched and continuous.