Six California bass lakes made the 2015 Bassmaster Top 100 lakes list for 2015. Texas had the most lakes on the list (9). Michigan was the second-best state (8) and New York tied California for third.

The Delta and Clear Lake remained were in the top 10 and Pardee Reservoir and Bullards Bar were placed on the list this year. Pardee’s appearance was a first-ever. Bullards Bar was on the list in 2013, but absent last year. Shasta Lake fell to #51 from #32 and Lake Berryessa dropped to #37 from #22.

Lake Oroville, Lake Casitas and New Melones dropped out of the top 100.

The rankings were created by first polling the fishery agencies of each state to produce a current list of bass-rich waters. Next, the B.A.S.S. Nation was employed to chime in on the best fisheries they compete on across the country. All 630,000 B.A.S.S. Facebook fans were polled to make sure non-tournament lakes were considered, and then the B.A.S.S. Council, a 3,500-member panel of super-avid bass fishermen, helped put the lakes in order. Finally, after scouring tournament data from hundreds of bass fishing clubs and tournament organizers, the rankings were finalized by a 15-member blue-ribbon panel from the fishing industry.

For a complete listing of Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes, see the July/August issue of Bassmaster. The digital version of Bassmaster is available now thru Apple Newsstand and Google play store. The print issues will be in subscriber's mailboxes soon.

Here are the ratings for the California lakes:

PARDEE RESERVOIR (#71): This pristine little drinking water lake is cuddled by the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in northern California. You’ll not see swimmers, skiers or Jet Skis here; human body contact with the water is forbidden. What you will see are giant largemouth and smallmouth, both of which eat trout that have been stocked in the lake. A 9-13 smallie was landed here in 2007. No previous ranking.

BULLARDS BAR (#55): As of this writing, this spotted bass factory was at 61 percent of pool, which makes it one of the small California lakes that remains fishable. On Feb. 21, the new world record spotted bass was caught here by Lou Ferrante: a 10.95-pound behemoth. Some on the West Coast believe this lake is one of California’s best kept secrets — until now. Previous Rankings - 2014: N/A | 2013: #37 | 2012: N/A

SHASTA LAKE (#51): Drought has taken its toll on this Sacramento River fishery. As of this writing, it’s at 70 percent of capacity. That said, it is better off than many other lakes and still very fishable. Actually, the giant spotted bass here may be even easier to target. It took 21.98 to win this year’s Shasta Cascade Bass Anglers Spring Open. Previous Rankings - 2014: #32 | 2013: #33 | 2012: #32

LAKE BERRYESSA (#37): This may be the most diverse lake on the West Coast, as far as anglers are concerned. You can catch trophy largemouth, spotted bass and smallmouth here. A California Tournament Trail Pro/Am in March proved just how fertile this lake is. One 31.24-pound limit was weighed in, and big bass was a 12.08 largemouth. Plus, you’re fishing in the heart of Napa Valley, so a celebratory glass of vino is easy to find after a grand day of fishing. Previous Rankings - 2014: #22 | 2013: #53 | 2012: N/A

CLEAR LAKE (#9): As goes the hitch (a native baitfish here), so goes the bass. And, luckily for anglers, the hitch have exploded this spring. Proof? A two-day event held in March was won with 62.74 pounds — and the winning angler didn’t catch the big fish (10.59 pounds). There were four 30-plus-pound limits and four bass over 10 pounds. The 15th-place angler weighed in almost 23 pounds a day — and didn’t earn a check. Previous Rankings - 2014: #2 | 2013: #3 | 2012: #10

CALIFORNIA DELTA (#4):The entire West Coast fishing scene is under duress because of the ongoing drought there. Many lakes that would have traditionally been a shoe-in on this list didn’t make it because they are mostly empty. Yet, the Delta is less affected by the lack of rain and remains one of the best largemouth destinations in the country. Chris Zaldain recently weighed in five fish that went 30-7, one of which was a 12-pounder. You didn’t make the final cut in that tournament unless you had more than 54-7. And Justin Lucas won with 82-14, maintaining almost 20 pounds per day throughout the event. Previous Rankings - 2014: #13 | 2013: #9 | 2012: #8