Fall Changes on Lakes

There is a big change on most lakes going on right now. The change is in the water levels. Most of the lakes are being drawn down from summer pool to winter pool. The reason for this is to allow for the run off of winter time rain and melting snow. Any time there is a major change to a lake in any form the fishing will be directly effected. And the drooping down of the lakes have a major effect on the fish and the fishing on any lake.

In the spring time when the lakes are being filled the rising water will cover new land and cover and bait for the fish and they will move more shallow as the water goes up. But at this time of year we are in the mid to late fall , which means that the lakes will be falling instead of raising. When the fish detect that the shallow areas are getting to low to stay in they will move out to the next deepest area and hold as long as the water levels are stable.

On some lakes that have large shallow water areas the fish like the bass and crappie will sometimes even move to other parts of the lake to find suitable water. What all of this means to the angler is that you will have to adapt your fishing presentations to match the fishes holding and feeding patterns. The fish like the largemouth bass will move to areas that are close to the bank that has deeper water close by. Areas like main lake points and the edge of flats that drop off into deeper water.

The bass will use these type of areas because they provide several things that the bass needs to live. First the deeper water in the main lake areas is more stable and provides the bass with a place to go when the bass feels in danger. Also the bait fish will hold in these same types of areas during this time of year. So the bass will not have to go far to feed. And the main lake water will have a more consistent water temp than the shallow falling water.

At this time of year the surface temp are in the 78 to 79 degree range the water temps will be dropping as the air temps continue to go down. But this is a good thing because the fishing will only get better and better as the water cools on down. As I said the bass will use cover and areas close to the bank as the water temps drop and this makes for some of the best top water fishing of the year.

Fish baits like buzz baits and poppers and jerk baits down long steep rocky banks that have deeper water close by. Fish the bait parallel to the bank for the best success. This keeps the bait in the fishes strike zone much longer and is a more high percentage way of fishing. And don't be afraid to night fish top waters for bass this is a top pattern for heart stopping top water action.