Nest failures may reach as high as forty percent with an average of 2000 fry surviving. Egg kills may be the result of a sharp change in water temperature either upward or downward, predation or fungal infections. The fry emerge fully developed and remain at the nest for up to seven days. After this time they will begin to leave the nest but are still guarded by the male. The young fry grow very rapid at first putting on about one to three inches per year and may reach twenty-two inches long.
Growth depends on the availability of food, season and water temperature.
In some infertile streams, smallmouth bass have taken up to four years to reach nine inches. In some fertile streams, they can reach nine inches in their second year. Smallmouth habitat varies with the size of the fish and the time of year. Prior to spawning, the adults gather at their spawning grounds. After the spawning season, they can be found in rocky locations of lakes and streams.