Summer · Updated August 2026

Best Smallmouth Bass Flies

Smallmouth eat almost anything that looks alive. The best smallmouth fly box covers four bases: topwater (poppers, gurglers), baitfish imitators (clousers, deceivers), crayfish patterns, and articulated streamers. Tie or buy in #2 to #6 sizes. Olive, black, white, and chartreuse are the workhorse colors. These are the flies that crush bass on Great Lakes water. Lake Erie's western basin smallmouth fishery — the Sandusky reefs, the Bass Islands, the Pelee tribs — has become the most-discussed warmwater fly destination in the Great Lakes. Smallmouth in shallow rocky water eat almost any reasonably-sized streamer presented with conviction. The fly choices that matter: Clouser Minnow (in white/chartreuse for clear water, olive/orange for stained), Wooly Bugger (#6-#10 in olive/black/white), a 4-inch articulated streamer (Sex Dungeon, Game Changer) for trophy fish, and a small popper for shallow flats. The rod is a 7-weight; the line is a floating or intermediate. The technique is simple. The result is the most aggressive eat in freshwater fly fishing.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability may change.