Species Use Database

Largemouth bass
Micropterus salmoides

Used for Recreation in Wisconsin

A. Species

Scientific name: Micropterus salmoides

Common name(s): Largemouth bass

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • Wisconsin

Country/Region: USA / Wisconsin


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: Individual Site

Name/Details of location: Wisconsin / Vilas County / Little Rock Lake South (45°59′44.69”N, 89°42′12.76”W)


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 2001

End Year: 2005


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Type of use: Non-Extractive

Practice of use:

Lethal or non-lethal:

Does this use involve take/extraction of:

Purpose(s) of end use: Recreation

Motivation of use: Recreational

Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: National external


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: This study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The population was sustained; indeed, largemouth bass density increased, but with a concomitant decrease in individual fish size. The study considers this increase likely arose from greater prey abundance during the study, due to improved environmental factors.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Recreational fishing is considerable industry re gear, clothing, fishing licenses etc. Although study did not consider revenues per se, but the practice of recreational angling from LMB appeared sustainable.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The study did not consider revenues per se, but sociologically, the practice of recreational angling from LMB appeared sustainable. Many fishing/ angling clubs rely on this type of angling

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The largemouth bass (LMB) population was ecologically stable / increasing. From this position, the study found that catch-and-release mortality did not appear to negatively influence this population. as evidenced by the high number of recaptured individuals, increases in recruitment, and significant increase in density over time. They found no evidence of LMB being more difficult to recapture after being caught. The study also found that catch-release did not extend the refractory period (duration for which the fish will be less susceptible to re-capture), implying no unsustainable animal welfare issues.


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species

The study concludes that some level of harvest may be required to balance and optimize LMB population sustainability, angler catch rates, and growth depending upon the management goals of the fishery. Within LMB management plans, managers must also consider species-specific angler behaviors (e.g. harvest-oriented versus voluntary release) in regards to predicted outcomes. The authors' recommend that future research experimentally test for long-term population-level effects of closed, catch-and-release-only, and open fishery seasons upon nesting bass at an ecosystem-scale across the range of black basses.


Record source

Information about the record source: scientific_pub

Date of publication/issue/production: 2018-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

Sass, G. G., Gaeta, J. W., Allen, M. S., Suski, C. D., & Shaw, S. L. (2018). Effects of catch-and-release angling on a largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) population in a north temperate lake, 2001–2005. Fisheries Research, 204, 95-102.

Date of record entry: 2022-12-30