Yellow bass are found primarily in the natural lakes and large warm-water rivers of Arkansas' eastern and southern lowlands. They are popular sportfish in some states, but most Arkansas anglers consider them a small-sized nuisance, because they are aggressive bait-stealers and seldom weigh more than a quarter pound.

The yellow bass most closely resembles the white bass, but there are not teeth on the tongue, and the golden-yellow sides have dark stripes sharply broken and offset above the front of the anal fin.