Bassmaster Classic 2025 -Lake Ray Roberts: Ultimate Guide, Conditions, & Updates

Make your plans to attend and watch, follow live coverage, get expert insights, and track the latest results from the 2025 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Ray Roberts.

Get the latest updates on the 2025 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Ray Roberts! Tournament schedule, expert fishing predictions, lake conditions & more. / 166339758 | Barbara Smyers | Dreamstime.com

Tournament Overview

The Bassmaster Elite Series is going on a brief pause because the 2025 Bassmaster Classic is about to get started on Lake Ray Roberts, just north of Fort Worth, Texas. From March 21st to the 23rd, the field of 56 proven anglers, who have qualified to compete through a variety of channels, are vying for more than $1 million in prize money with $300,000 dollars, the coveted Bassmaster Classic trophy, and a place in bass fishing history going to the winner.

Event Schedule

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES!

-Thursday, March 20

Classic Kickoff Party

Where: Historic Fort Worth Stockyards -131 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164
When: Thursday, 3/20 -4 — 9pm
What: Experience an authentic glimpse of the American West with a variety of bars, restaurants, shops, and tours, plus see the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive! And, fun activities, booth displays and early B.A.S.S. Life & Nation Member credential pickup.

-Friday, March 21 – Sunday, March 23, 2025

Tournament Launch

The competitors will take off every morning from Ray Roberts Lake State Park. / B.A.S.S.

Where: Ray Roberts Lake State Park -Isle Du Bois Unit, 100 PW 4137 Pilot Point, TX 76258
When: 7:30am each morning of competition
What: Come watch the competitors take off on Lake Ray Roberts, announced by B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer, take a bass boat demo ride, and check out sponsor displays.

The Expo and Weigh-in are in downtown Fort Worth, but the actual playing field is Lake Ray Roberts, about an hours drive to the north. / Google

Watch the Tournament

Watch Live: Bassmaster LIVE
Realtime Unofficial Weights During Competition: BASSTrakk
LIVE Daily Weigh In: Weigh In Show
T.V. Coverage on FOX/FS1: Broadcast Schedule Here

Classic Expo

An outdoor enthusiasts dream—prizes, giveaways and entertaining activities for the whole family. / B.A.S.S.

Where: Fort Worth Convention Center 1201 Houston Street Fort Worth, TX 76102
When: Friday, 3/21 -Media/B.A.S.S. Life & Nation Members Preview: 11am — Noon, General Public -Noon — 7pm Saturday, March 22: 10am — 6pm, Sunday, March 23: 10am — 4pm
What: Exhibitors will be selling a wide variety of merchandise for fishing, hunting, camping, and more — an outdoor enthusiast’s dream! Plus, prizes, giveaways, and entertaining activities for the whole family!

The Expo is at the Fort Worth Convention Center and the weigh-ins are at the Dickies Arena. Be aware that they are about 3.6 miles apart. / Google

Classic Tailgate

Where: Outside the Fort Worth Convention Center 1201 Houston Street Fort Worth, TX 76102
When: Friday, 10am — 3pm, Saturday, 10am — 3pm, Sunday, 10am — 3pm
What: Fans will get to experience an outdoor tailgate party all three days of the event, featuring Tommy Sanders broadcasting live on the Bassmaster LIVE stage, plus activities and displays for the entire family.

Tournament Weigh-ins

Where: Dickies Arena 1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth, TX 76107
When: Every day of competition. Doors open at 3 p.m. for credentialed B.A.S.S. Life and B.A.S.S. Nation members & 3:15 p.m. for the general public. The weigh-in is expected to begin around 4:30 p.m.
How: NOTE! New this year, a FREE Digital Ticket from Ticketmaster is required for each day of the weigh-in at Dickies Arena. Get your FREE Weigh-in Tickets HERE.
What: Experience the exciting live weigh-ins with fun promotions and more giveaways from B.A.S.S. sponsors! Then watch the best bass anglers in the world weigh in their Lake Ray Roberts catch and, on Sunday, one angler will be crowned a champion.

Lake Ray Roberts Bass Fishing Report & Expert Predictions

A History of Lake Ray Roberts

When the lake was impounded the Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologists envisioned following the same blueprint as Lake Fork, making it a trophy bass factory. / tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks

Lake Ray Roberts, impounded in 1987, was always intended to be a trophy bass fishery. The Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologists envisioned following the same blueprint as Lake Fork, the state’s top producer of ShareLunker entries. Ray Roberts includes huge areas of standing timber intended to provide ideal bass habitat and maximize sport fishing productivity.

In recent years, the amount of aquatic vegetation in the lake has been increasing, providing even more habitat for largemouth bass, especially in the clearer water of the lakes east arm. Coverage of aquatic vegetation, namely milfoil and pondweed, expanded in 2023 to almost 7,000 of the lake’s 26,000 surface acres.

Plus, Ray Roberts is on a regular stocking program. The lake has received 4.6 million Florida largemouth, with the fisheries management plan calling for subsequent stockings every two to three years. In 2024, 347,000 Lonestar Bass were stocked, which are descendants of ShareLuker Legacy class largemouth weighing over 13 pounds.

Lake Ray Roberts and Big Bass

The lake record is this 15.18 pound giant caught in March of 2015. / Texas ShareLunker

Does the lake produce big bass? Well, the lake record was set in March of 2015 when Shannon Lee Elvington of Pilot Point landed a 15.18-pounder. The previous best reported was a 14.59 bass from 2000. So, the possibility of a real monster bag exists here.

Keith Combs Fishing Predictions

I asked Texas pro Keith Combs how he thought the lake would fish for this year’s Classic.

Bassmaster Elite Pro Keith Combs is well known for his connection to Texas bass fishing, especially big fish. / Keith Combs

“It can be a challenging lake, but it definitely produces some big bags. You need to throw down some big weight to win there.”

“But catching those size fish on Ray Roberts is not as easy as it is on a lot of other Texas lakes. It’s probably because it gets a lot of pressure, as a lake so close to a huge Texas city. And it’s not a super easy lake to navigate.”

“But there will be guys who will piece it together. And in the end you should see some good weights.”

Ray Roberts Current Bass Stage

I asked Combs about current weather conditions and the likely stage the bass will be in for the Classic week.

“I would say for the week of the Classic, the bass will mostly still be pre-spawn. We’ve had some warm weather in Texas already, but we’ve also had some extreme cold. You will see a couple guys catch a fish or two off of beds, but the winning pattern will most likely be 100% pre-spawn fish.”

Best Fishing Techniques & Baits for Lake Ray Roberts

What kinds of baits and techniques are we most likely to see?

Combs responded, “It’s a good classic Texas reservoir and a good crankbait lake. But my guess is it will be won on a jerkbait, live-scoping bass suspended in trees. Probably similar to what we saw at Lake Fork last year. I think there will be some fish caught around shoreline related cover, but I don’t think that will be the winning pattern.”

Day-by-Day Tournament Updates & Standings

Day 1: 20-Year-Old Fishing Phenom Trey McKinney Grabs Lead

The youngest angler ever to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic takes the lead with a massive 26-9 limit. / B.A.S.S. | Kyle Jessie

Illinois’ McKinney Leads the Bassmaster Classic with a 26-9 Limit Despite Relentless High Winds...FULL STORY HERE.

Day 2: Easton Fothergill Leads with Monster Bag

With a crazy one-hour flurry, the 22-year-old Minnesotan overtakes Day 1 leader Trey McKinney heading into Championship Sunday. / B.A.S.S.

One young bass fishing phenom stumbles, just a little, and another jumps into the lead. The Bassmaster Classic on Lake Ray Roberts is far from over...FULL STORY HERE.

Championship:Easton Fothergill Wins 2025 Bassmaster Classic: $300,000 and a Record-Setting Weight

Easton Fothergill made history at the 2025 Bassmaster Classic, landing 76 lbs, 15 oz—the heaviest winning total ever. / Kurt Mazurek

At just 22, Fothergill dominates Lake Ray Roberts, securing the biggest winning weight in Bassmaster Classic history...FULL STORY HERE.

2025 Bassmaster Classic 2025 Rules

The Bassmaster Classic will follow the same rules as the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series including the new limited electronics rules.

The tournament playing field includes Lake Ray Roberts.

The daily limit is 5 bass with a 14 inch minimum size.

The full field will start competition on Days 1 and 2. Only the Top 25 after Day 2 will qualify to fish on the third and final day, Championship Sunday.

The 56 Classic Competitors 2025

This table shows the 56 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers and the various ways they qualified. / B.A.S.S.

1. Justin Hamner
2. Cory Johnston
3. Scott Martin
4. Kyle Austin
5. Bobby Bakewell
6. Jeremiah Kinda
7. Josh Butler
8. Easton Fothergill
9. Jay Przekurat
10. Cody Stahl
11. Dylan Akins
12. Tyler Campbell
13. Blake Capps
14. Connor Jacob
15. Jeremy Knepp
16. Chris Johnston
17. Trey McKinney
18. Jacob Foutz
19. Cody Huff
20. John Garrett
21. Jordan Lee
22. Wesley Gore
23. Tyler Williams
24. Patrick Walters
25. Robert Gee
26. Chris Zaldain
27. JT Thompkins
28. Kyle Patrick
29. Cooper Gallant
30. Brandon Lester
31. Will Davis Jr.
32. Lee Livesay
33. Logan Parks
34. John Cox
35. Hunter Shryock
36. Justin Atkins
37. Drew Benton
38. Kyle Norsetter
39. Matt Arey
40. Ben Milliken
41. Pat Schlapper
42. Caleb Sumrall
43. Stetson Blaylock
44. Jacob Powroźnik
45. Drew Cook
46. Taku Ito
47. Wes Logan
48. Kyoya Fujita
49. Alex Wetherell
50. Shane LeHew
51. Jeff Gustafson
52. Alex Redwine
53. Greg Hackney
54. Tyler Rivet
55. Bryan Schmitt
56. Carl Jocumsen

Reminder of the New Electronics Rules for the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series & Bassmaster Classic

1.) Total Screen Size
Boats are restricted to no more than 55 inches of screen size. Inches are measured per the (diagonal) display screen size listed on each manufacturer's website rounded to the nearest inch.

2.) Limited Live Transducers
Each competitor’s boat is limited to one (1) live transducer and this transducer must be mounted on the trolling motor shaft at the bow area of the boat.

3.) Electronics Placement
All electronics must be mounted in a way not to obstruct the competitor’s line of sight while piloting the boat on plane. It is recommended that console electronics be mounted in a manner where the tops of graphs are no higher than 26 inches from the steering column where it exits the console, and bow electronics be mounted in a manner where the tops of graphs are no higher than 18 inches from the front deck.