That will come as no surprise to area fishermen, or those who travel from well outside of Western New York to fish for smallmouth bass in Lake Erie waters.

Lake Erie within a 30-mile radius of Buffalo came in fourth nationally behind Toledo Bench (Texas/Louisiana), Santee Cooper lakes, Marion and Moultrie (South Carolina) and Clear Lake (California). It tops the East, finishing ahead of No. 2 Lake St. Clair (Michigan) and No. 3 Lake Erie (within a 30-mile radius of Sandusky, Ohio).