Redeye Bass Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Slender, streamlined black bass body, less deep-bodied than largemouth or smallmouth bass
• Bright red or reddish-orange eyes, the trait that gives the species its name
• Bronze to olive-brown back grading to lighter sides, with faint vertical bars visible in some populations
• Rows of small dark spots forming horizontal streaks along the lower sides and belly
• White margins on the caudal, anal, and sometimes dorsal fins, each bordered by a thin dark line

Common look-alikes

• Smallmouth bass - lacks the red eye, has bold vertical bars on a bronze body, and grows noticeably larger.
• Spotted bass - also shows rows of spots but has dark, non-red eyes and a small patch of teeth on the tongue that redeye bass lack.

Where you'll see one

Redeye bass are stream specialists, inhabiting clear, cool, rocky-bottomed creeks and small rivers in the upland regions of the southeastern United States, particularly across the Alabama, Coosa, and Savannah River systems. They rarely occur in large lakes or reservoirs, preferring flowing water with riffles and pools.