Their current distribution includes its native drainage s plus drainage s from Minnesota to Quebec and south to northern Alabama and west to the state of California. Smallmouth bass mature at different ages depending on its growth and extent of its environment. In the north, it was found that males become sexually mature at three years of age. In the south, both sexes were found to become sexually mature at two years of age. Successful spawning can happen in both large and small tributaries and in lakes, streams and rivers.
Females probably spawn every year depending on a number of environmental factors.
These may include summer temperatures, water levels, wind, nest desertion, predation, angling and parasite infections. Spawning usually begins in late spring and early summer, most often at the end of April to the beginning of June, depending on the water temperature, the season and the location of the spawning fish. Spawning usually lasts from a period of six to ten days and at a temperature of fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit to seventy degrees Fahrenheit. The male builds the nest by fanning out the gravel, sand or stones with his tail. The nest is built in water that is anywhere from two to twenty-two feet deep and near the protection of rocks, logs or dense vegetation.