Present, but uncommon in the main basin.

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

A sand-and-muck bottom gives smallmouth almost nothing to hold on. Fish the current instead.

What the DNR measured

Shawano Lake basin: Not reported separately in the 2023 survey. Smallmouth were a target species for electrofishing but did not produce a stand-alone table.
Bottom composition: 88% sand, 12% muck, no gravel or rock, which is the reason.

What that means on the water

The 2023 comprehensive report lists smallmouth as an electrofishing target but publishes no size or abundance table for them, which tells you how few came to the boat. Anglers do log them: Fishbrain users report 608 smallmouth catches around Shawano against 2,267 largemouth.

Where to find it

The channel to Loon Lake, where current runs between the two basins.
The Shawano Outlet and the Wolf River, on any hard bottom or rip-rap.
Bridge pilings and dock cribs, which are the closest thing to rock in the main basin.

How to catch it

Tubes and Ned rigs on any hard bottom you can find.
Small crankbaits and jerkbaits in the current.
Live crawlers on a slip sinker off the rip-rap.

Spots on this lake for smallmouth bass

2 of the 10 named areas hold smallmouth bass. Tap a marker for the reason.

Spot	Why it holds them
The channel to Loon Lake	A quarter mile of moving water joins the north shore of Shawano Lake to the south tip of Loon Lake. Current concentrates bait, fish move through it in both directions, and the DNR PIT tag arrays went in exactly here in 2024 to measure that movement. Anglers call this stretch the Narrows.
Shawano Lake Outlet	The channel that drains the lake into the Wolf River, and the best-scoring water in the whole system. Largemouth size structure of 73 against 49 in the main lake, and the longest yellow perch the DNR measured at 12.6 inches. Spring runs of walleye, pike and musky pass through it.

All 10 spots and the season-by-season pattern

Records and rules

Season on Shawano Lake: May 2 to March 7. Best in the moving water of the outlet in spring and fall.
Limit: 14-inch minimum, 5 per day, combined with largemouth.
Wisconsin state record: 9 lbs 1 oz
Where the record came from: Indian Lake, Oneida County, 1950-06-21
Registers as a trophy at: 20 inches, DNR live-release standard