Jordan Lee - 2017 Bassmaster Classic Champion - Sparks Flying After Win.
Jordan Lee – 2017 Bassmaster Classic Champion – Sparks Flying After Win.
New to the event? Start with our guide to what the Bassmaster Classic is, then use the year-by-year table below to follow every champion.
Most Classic championships: Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam are tied with four wins each. Bassmaster’s historical analysis documents their title runs.
Back-to-back champions: Rick Clunn (1976–77), Kevin VanDam (2010–11), Jordan Lee (2017–18), and Hank Cherry (2020–21). B.A.S.S. confirmed Cherry’s milestone in 2021.
Record winning weight: Easton Fothergill’s 76 pounds, 15 ounces in 2025 was the highest winning total in Classic history at the time, according to Bassmaster. 2026 milestone: Dylan Nutt became only the second champion to qualify through B.A.S.S. Nation, joining Bryan Kerchal (1994). Read the official account.
Next championship: The 2027 Bassmaster Classic is scheduled for Lake Hartwell in Greenville, South Carolina; the next champion will be added after the event.
Explore the champions: The table now includes verified angler profiles, selected photos already in the Bass Fishing Facts media library, and social pages where a reliable account could be identified. “—” means no account was confirmed for that entry. For more historical winner photos, see Bassmaster’s official winners photo archive. Scroll the table sideways on smaller screens.
| Year | Classic champion | Winning weight (lb–oz) | Boat brand | Tournament water | Photo / profile | Social media |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Bobby Murray | 43-11 | N/A | Lake Mead, NV | — | — |
| 1972 | Don Butler | 38-11 | N/A | Percy Priest Reservoir, TN | — | — |
| 1973 | Rayo Breckenridge | 52-8 | N/A | Clarks Hill Lake, SC | — | — |
| 1974 | Tommy Martin | 33-7 | N/A | Wheeler Lake, AL | — | — |
| 1975 | Jack Hains | 45-4 | N/A | Currituck Sound, NC | — | — |
| 1976 | Rick Clunn | 59-15 | Ranger | Lake Guntersville, AL | —Profile ↗ | — |
| 1977 | Rick Clunn | 27-7 | Glastron | Kissimmee Chain, FL | —Profile ↗ | — |
| 1978 | Bobby Murray | 37-9 | N/A | Ross Barnett Reservoir, MS | — | — |
| 1979 | Hank Parker | 31 | N/A | Lake Texoma, TX | — | — |
| 1980 | Bo Dowden | 54-10 | N/A | St. Lawrence River, NY | — | — |
| 1981 | Stanley Mitchell | 35-2 | Ranger | Alabama River, AL | — | — |
| 1982 | Paul Elias | 32-8 | Ranger | Alabama River, AL | — | — |
| 1983 | Larry Nixon | 18-1 | Ranger | Ohio River, OH | — | — |
| 1984 | Rick Clunn | 75-9 | N/A | Arkansas River, AR | —Profile ↗ | — |
| 1985 | Jack Chancellor | 45 | Ranger | Arkansas River, AR | — | — |
| 1986 | Charlie Reed | 23-9 | Ranger | Tennessee River, TN | — | — |
| 1987 | George Cochran | 15-5 | Ranger | Ohio River, OH | — | — |
| 1988 | Guido Hibdon | 28-8 | Ranger | James River, VA | — | — |
| 1989 | Hank Parker | 31-6 | Ranger | James River, VA | — | — |
| 1990 | Rick Clunn | 34-5 | Tracker | James River, VA | —Profile ↗ | — |
| 1991 | Ken Cook | 33-2 | Javelin | Chesapeake Bay, MD | — | — |
| 1992 | Robert Hamilton, Jr | 59-6 | Ranger | Lake Logan Martin, AL | — | — |
| 1993 | David Fritts | 48-6 | Ranger | Lake Logan Martin, AL | — | — |
| 1994 | Bryan Kerchal | 36-7 | Ranger | High Rock Lake, NC | — | — |
| 1995 | Mark Davis | 47-14 | Basscat | High Rock Lake, NC | — | — |
| 1996 | George Cochran | 31-14 | Ranger | Lay Lake, AL | — | — |
| 1997 | Dion Hibdon | 34-13 | Ranger | Lake Logan Martin, AL | — | — |
| 1998 | Denny Brauer | 46-3 | Ranger | High Rock Lake, NC | — | — |
| 1999 | Davy Hite | 55-10 | Stratos | Louisiana Delta, LA | — | — |
| 2000 | Woo Daves | 27-13 | Nitro | Lake Michigan, IL | — | — |
| 2001 | Kevin VanDam | 32-5 | Nitro | Louisiana Delta, LA | IG @kevinvandamfishing · Facebook | |
| 2002 | Jay Yelas | 45-13 | Skeeter | Lay Lake, AL | — | — |
| 2003 | Michael Iaconelli | 37-14 | Ranger | Louisiana Delta, LA | IG @mikeiaconelli · Facebook | |
| 2004 | Takahiro Omori | 39-2 | Ranger | Lake Wylie, NC | — | — |
| 2005 | Kevin VanDam | 12-15 | Nitro | Three Rivers, PA | IG @kevinvandamfishing · Facebook | |
| 2006 | Luke Clausen | 56-2 | Ranger | Kissimmee Chain, FL | — | — |
| 2007 | Boyd Duckett | 48-10 | Triton | Lay Lake, AL | — | — |
| 2008 | Alton Jones | 48-7 | Skeeter | Lake Hartwell, SC | — | — |
| 2009 | Skeet Reese | 54-13 | Champion | Red River, LA | — | — |
| 2010 | Kevin VanDam | 51-6 | Nitro | Lay Lake, AL | IG @kevinvandamfishing · Facebook | |
| 2011 | Kevin VanDam | 69-11 | Nitro | Louisiana Delta, LA | IG @kevinvandamfishing · Facebook | |
| 2012 | Chris Lane | 51-6 | Legend | Red River, LA | — | — |
| 2013 | Cliff Pace | 54-12 | Skeeter | Grand Lake, OK | — | — |
| 2014 | Randy Howell | 67-8 | Triton | Lake Guntersville, AL | — | — |
| 2015 | Casey Ashley | 50-1 | Triton | Lake Hartwell, SC | — | — |
| 2016 | Edwin Evers | 60-7 | Nitro | Grand Lake, OK | — | — |
| 2017 | Jordan Lee | 56-10 | Legend | Lake Conroe, TX | IG @jleefishing | |
| 2018 | Jordan Lee | 47-1 | Ranger | Lake Hartwell, SC | IG @jleefishing | |
| 2019 | Ott Defoe | 49-3 | Nitro | Tennessee River, TN | — | |
| 2020 | Hank Cherry | 65-5 | BassCat | Lake Guntersville, AL | —Profile ↗ | IG @hankcherryfishing |
| 2021 | Hank Cherry | 50-15 | BassCat | Ray Roberts, TX | —Profile ↗ | IG @hankcherryfishing |
| 2022 | Jason Christie | 54-00 | Xpress | Lake Hartwell, SC | —Profile ↗ | IG @christiefishing |
| 2023 | Jeff Gustafson | 42-7 | Lund | Tennessee River, TN | —Profile ↗ | IG @gussyoutdoors · Facebook |
| 2024 | Justin Hamner | 58-3 | Falcon | Grand Lake O the Cherokees, Tulsa, OK | —Profile ↗ | IG @justinhamnerfishing |
| 2025 | Easton Fothergill | 76-15 | Skeeter | Lake Ray Roberts, Fort Worth, TX | —Profile ↗ | IG @eastonfothergillfish |
| 2026 | Dylan Nutt | 66-13 | Caymas | Tennessee River, Knoxville, TN | —Profile ↗ | IG @dylan.nutt |
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