Lake Coeur d'Alene was ranked No. 11 in the country among bass fisheries in a top 100 list compiled by Bassmaster Magazine this week.

The Columbia River in Washington and Oregon was ranked No. 21 and the Dworshak Reservoir No. 26.

In 2012, Lake Coeur d'Alene was No. 9, Columbia River No. 20 and Dworshak No. 85.

"We slipped down a little to No. 11 this year," said Jordan Smith of Fins and Feathers in Coeur d'Alene. "But that's still not too bad at all."

Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden said Coeur d'Alene has been great for bass fishing in the bays and at both ends. But he believes No. 11 in the country may be a stretch.

"Northern states typically don't have big bass; they don't grow like they do in the south," Frasca said. "But, if you look at all the tournaments, they're catching a lot of bass on Coeur d'Alene."

The ranking also surprised Steve Holweg of Cabela's.

"Coeur d'Alene doesn't get the notoriety as the other big lakes, but maybe that's why it was ranked," Holweg said. "Maybe it's a sleeper. There is some quality fish out there."

Bassmaster's list appears in the May issue, which hits newsstands this week. Michigan's Lake St. Clair took the No. 1 spot, while Falcon Lake, which was last year's No.1, fell to seventh.

"It is truly amazing how much a fishery can change in the span of 12 months," said Bassmaster Magazine Editor James Hall. "Most bass anglers, including me, figured Falcon would be ranked No. 1 for the next decade. However, the fishing there has been tough because of drought and fishing pressure. And based on the metrics we use to create the list, then rank the lakes, Lake St. Clair deserved the title of best bass lake in America."

St. Clair's smallmouth population is legendary, but it is the emergence of its largemouth fishery that solidified its No. 1 ranking. Elite Series pro Jason Christie won the most recent B.A.S.S. event there with a three-day total of 67-4. But the most astounding fact from that July tournament was that 135 of the 147 pro anglers boated five-fish limits every day, with more than 2 tons of bass being weighed in.

The metrics used to create the rankings included catch rate and shock data from state wildlife agencies; a survey of B.A.S.S. Nation conservation directors and presidents based on tournaments held across the country; and a survey of 3,500 B.A.S.S. members across the country to detail nontournament lakes. To finalize the rankings, Bassmaster enlisted a panel of outdoor writers, Elite Series pros and fishing industry insiders.

"The process is as all-encompassing and data-driven as we can make it. Our goal is to identify the hottest lakes in the country so fishermen don't have to worry about doing the research," Hall said. "An angler can look at this list and know that the lakes are very healthy, and the odds of having a fantastic day on the water are high."

Texas' Sam Rayburn Reservoir took the second spot, while Clear Lake (California), Lake Guntersville (Alabama), and Lake Erie (Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania) landed in third through fifth, respectively.

For the complete listing of lakes and details on the fisheries, visit Bassmaster.com/top100.