Finding Smallmouth Bass in Lakes

Finding Smallmouth Bass in Lakes

Spring

Finding smallmouth bass in the spring is not that difficult. As the water
approaches 50 degrees, smallmouth start coming out of the deep drop-
offs to get ready for the spawn. Clear lakes will warm slower than dark
lakes, so expect to find smallmouth in the shallows of clear lakes a
couple of weeks later than in the dark, murky lakes.

Bass will come into the shallows during warm days to feed and they will
be active. If a cold spell hits, they will move out to nearby deeper water.
Once the water temperature is around 55 to 60 degrees, the bass begin
to spawn. You can catch a lot of nice smallmouth bass along the
shorelines while the water warms from 50 to 60 degrees. They are
shallow and remain active until they start spawning. When searching for
these bass in shallow water, target rocky shorelines, shallow flats with
boulders, and dark-bottom bays because this water warms faster.

Summer

In summer, smallmouth bass go into deeper water. They can usually be
found in 12 to 15 feet of water, but in some lakes, they are much
deeper. Finding smallmouth during the summer depends on the
thermocline. The thermocline prevents fish from going too deep. The
thermocline is a zone where the water temperature changes rapidly.
Below the thermocline is the deepest, coldest water, however, this water
lacks oxygen. The upper layer is the warmest, but provides plenty of
oxygen for the fish. Smallmouth will hang out around the thermocline
throughout the day and come shallower to feed in the mornings,
evenings and at night. The type of lake and maximum depth of the lake
will dictate the depth of the thermocline. Smallmouth bass are going to
be feeding on two main food sources during the summer. They are bait
fish and crayfish. If there are some good areas in 8 to 12 feet of water
with plenty of rocks, the smallmouth will be here during their major
feeding times to feed on the crayfish. Smallmouth love crayfish. After
they feed, they will go into slightly deeper water. Some fishermen have
certain spots where they can catch 8 to 10 smallmouth in a half hour
and then not get another bite there for hours. The bass came in to feed
and then moved out. If they don't have any good areas to feed on
crayfish, they will be moving farther to find a meal. They have to follow
the bait fish, so they can move in and out of shallow water, along points,
drop-offs, weed lines, etc. This will make fishing slightly more
challenging, but they can be caught easily with fast-moving lures such
as crankbaits.

Fall / Winter

In early to mid-fall, fishing for smallmouth bass gets very exciting again.
You can find fish in the shallows just like you did during the spring. With
cooler temperatures and a lower sun angler, they can move comfortably
in the shallows. Try the same areas that you fished in the spring and
you will have success.

As it gets into late fall, the turnover will move the bass out of the
shallows. Fishing gets extremely tough as bass are spread out all over
the place in deeper water. They will stay in deeper water through the
winter and be very hard to catch. Some anglers say that they catch
their biggest smallmouth of the year just before winter. They usually
catch these fish in deep water with slow presentations. These anglers
also mention that they don't catch very many fish during this time of
year. One fishing guide told us that his smallmouth average 3 to 4.5
pounds in late October and November, but he only catches a couple of
fish per trip.

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