FreeFishLargemouth bass through the year
Where largemouth bass live and what they eat in each season, with simple lure choices for every month.
The largemouth bass is the most popular game fish in the United States, and for good reason: they live almost everywhere, hit lures aggressively and fight hard. They are also creatures of habit. If you know what season it is and what the water temperature is doing, you can narrow down where they are.
What bass want
Largemouth bass are ambush predators. They hide near cover and attack prey that comes close. Wherever you fish, look for three things:
- Cover: weeds, lily pads, fallen trees, brush piles, docks, rocks and stumps.
- Food: baitfish like shad and shiners, sunfish, crayfish, frogs and insects.
- Comfortable water: the right temperature and enough oxygen, often near a depth change.
Winter (water below about 50 °F)
Bass slow down and gather in deeper water, often on steep breaks, channel edges and deep points close to shallower areas. They eat less, but they still eat.
- Lures: jigs dragged slowly, suspending jerkbaits with long pauses, blade baits, and drop shots.
- Tip: fish the sunniest, warmest afternoons. A few degrees of warming can turn them on.
Pre-spawn (about 50 to 60 °F)
As water warms, bass move toward spawning areas and feed heavily. Big females are at their heaviest. Look at the first drop-offs and points outside protected bays, and at secondary points leading into spawning coves.
- Lures: lipless crankbaits around emerging weeds, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and jigs.
Spawn (about 60 to 70 °F)
Bass fan out nests (beds) on firm bottoms in protected, shallow water, often 1 to 6 feet deep. Males guard the eggs and fry aggressively.
- Lures: soft plastics like Texas-rigged creature baits, wacky-rigged stick baits, and small jigs.
- Ethics and rules: some states close or restrict bass fishing during the spawn, or require immediate release. Even where it is legal, many anglers release spawning bass quickly near the bed so they can guard it.
Post-spawn and early summer
After spawning, females recover in slightly deeper water near the spawning areas, while males guard fry for a short time. Topwater fishing can be outstanding as bass feed on the shad and bluegill spawns.
- Lures: topwater walking baits and poppers, swim jigs, weightless soft plastics, and swimbaits.
Summer (above about 75 °F)
Bass split up. Some stay shallow in the thickest cover, where shade and oxygen-producing vegetation keep them comfortable. Others move to offshore structure: points, ledges, humps and deep weed lines.
- Shallow: hollow-body frogs over matted vegetation, flipping heavy Texas rigs into thick cover, and topwater at dawn.
- Deep: deep-diving crankbaits, football jigs, big worms on a Texas or Carolina rig, and drop shots.
- Tip: early morning, evening and night are often the best summer windows.
Fall (cooling from the 70s to the 50s °F)
Bass follow baitfish into the backs of creeks, coves and bays and onto shallow flats, feeding hard before winter. They can be spread out and roaming, so cover water until you find them.
- Lures: spinnerbaits, squarebill crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, topwater and swimbaits that match the size of local baitfish.
Quick lure guide
| Season | Where | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | Deep breaks and channel edges | Jig, suspending jerkbait |
| Pre-spawn | Points outside spawning bays | Lipless crankbait, jerkbait |
| Spawn | Shallow, protected, firm bottom | Soft plastics |
| Summer | Thick cover or offshore structure | Frog, Texas rig, deep crankbait |
| Fall | Creek arms, flats with baitfish | Spinnerbait, squarebill |
Tip: If you are new to bass fishing, a 5 inch stick bait on a wacky rig catches bass in every season and almost every lake.
Handling bass
Bass can be lipped (held by the lower jaw), but support big fish horizontally under the belly rather than hanging them by the jaw. Keep them wet, minimize time out of the water, and release them quickly. Our catch and release guide covers best practices.