As bass fishing anglers knowing where in the season you are and what events are occurring will help you keep a pulse on the waters that you are fishing and will make you a better overall angler.
One of the most import events in the year for bass is the spawn. As anglers, it is critical that we understand when the spawn is and how it effects bass behavior. So, you might be wondering when do bass spawn?
Bass spawn in the spring when the water temperature reaches 55-70 degrees. The spawn can begin starting in February if you live in warmer states like Florida or might not start until the end of June if you live up north. When bass spawn is dictated by water temperatures, light penetration, lunar phases and other varying conditions. Bass will spawn on hard surfaced in shallow warm water that are protected from wind and current.
With all that being said, all of the bass don’t spawn at the same time. For example, on any given body of water there may be fish at one end of the lake up shallow spawning and on the other end they may still be in pre-spawn mode or have already spawned.
In this spawn bass fishing guide, we will discuss more in detail when bass spawn, what to look for and how to utilize this information to your advantage as an angler.
Let’s get started
The Bass Spawn
The bass spawn is a behavioral ritual that occurs every year that typically starts at the end of spring and goes to the begging of summer. The main driving factor of when bass spawn is water temperature. When water temperatures are in the low 50’s bass move shallow and will begin spawning all the way up to when the water temperature reaches 70 degrees. (Source: in.gov)
Depending on where you live the month(s) that the spawn occurs may be different based on your regions climate and the species of bass.
Here is a chart that shows when each bass species spawn (keep in mind these are general rules):
| Bass Species | Water Temperature | Time of Year |
| Largemouth Bass | 59-70 | February to June |
| Smallmouth Bass | 55-70 | March to June |
| Spotted Bass | 55-70 | March to June |
There are many factors that influence when bass will spawn including: water temperature, light penetration, lunar phases, weather patterns as well as other variables. Although bass may spawn at different times based on the conditions their spawning behavior remains the same.
To help you better understand the spawning process here is an overview of the 4 basic stages of the spawn:
Males (Bucks) Move Up
Once the conditions are right the spawn is initiated by the male bass pulling up shallow. Where they will search for suitable nesting area and will prepare for mating.
Males and Females Pair
Once the male bass have prepared their beds the females will wait until the conditions are right and will eventually move up to join them. When the females do move up they will pair with the males and begin their mating ritual which occurs around the nest.
Females Drop their Eggs
As a part of the mating ritual the female bass will deposit their eggs on the nest with the help of the males. When it’s all said and done there could be almost 2,000 eggs in the nest.
Females Leaving Beds
Once the female has finished laying the eggs on her bed she will then leave the spawning area and either mate with another fish or head deeper to rest and recover.
Males Protect Their Young
The male bass are responsible for watching over his school of offspring. He’ll stay close and protect the nest and will spend about 2 weeks with his offspring before heading to deeper water.
Wrap Up
The bass spawn typically lasts 10 to 14 days, but it’s important to note that not all bass will spawn at the same time. They tend to move up and spawn in waves and will be in different phases on the same body of water. This spawning season will often last 2-5 months depending on your region.
If you would like to learn more information about the bass spawn check out this documentary for more in-depth information about the bass spawning process.
Another interesting thing about the spawn is that the different sub species: smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass all behavior and spawn a little differently. Let’s discuss this further.
When Do Largemouth Bass Spawn
Largemouth bass will spawn in the spring, starting when water temperatures reach 55 degrees and will spawn all the way up to when water temperatures get over 70 degrees. The exact month that largemouth bass spawn is dependent on the water temperature, sun (amount of light), lunar phases and other varying factors. The largemouth bass spawn typically starts and February and goes until June depending on what region of the county.
Because largemouth bass tend to live in warmer water, they will typically spawn earlier than smallmouth and their spawning season often lasts longer as well due to more stable and warmer weather conditions.
When Do Smallmouth Bass Spawn
Smallmouth bass spawn in the spring when water temperatures are somewhere between 55 and 65+ degrees. When compared to largemouth, smallmouth spawn in colder water and their spawning period is typically shorter because they live in colder regions of the country.
Much like largemouth when smallmouth bass spawn depends on water temperature, daylight, lunar phases and other varying conditions. The smallmouth bass spawn generally starts at the end of March and goes until June depending on where you live.
Where Do Bass Spawn
Now that we have established that bass will move to shallow warm water to spawn. Let’s talk more specifically about the type of areas where the spawn will take place and where you can find their beds.
In order to be able to spawn the bass need hard bottom that is protected from the elements like wind and current, they also need to have exposure to sunlight in order to incubate their eggs.
Largemouth bass will typically nest in about one to three feet from the bank and will be spaced out at least 20 feet apart. How deep they will spawn will be determined by water clarity. The clearer the water the deeper they will spawn. They will spawn much shallower in muddy water.
Smallmouth bass also like to spawn in shallow, protected warm water but they are also known for spawning much deeper than largemouth. The will spawn in anywhere between 3-15 feet and can spawn even deeper in clear water.
Here are key areas to look for where bass will spawn:
- Shallow Water
- Rocky bottoms
- Sand & Gravel
- Back of Coves
- Flooded Brush
- Overhanging Trees
- Shallow stumps
When Do Bass Spawn in Ponds
Much like in other bodies of water bass in ponds will spawn when the water temperatures reaches 55-70 degrees. Because most ponds are shallower the water temperatures will heat up faster, resulting in many bass spawning earlier when compared to other larger bodies of water.
An important note regarding ponds and temperature is that the water temperature can change rapidly, sometimes even overnight. Dramatic weather changes like a cold fronts can chase bass of beds sending them deep until the weather stabilizes.
These fast water temperature changes can also cause the bass to move up to the shallow areas of the pond much earlier to begin to spawn.
How Do You Know When Bass are Spawning?
Understanding what phase the bass are at in the spring (pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn) can be super important as this will affect their behavior, location and overall fishing. There are key clues that you can look for that will help you determine if the bass are spawning.
Here are few things you can look for to tell if bass are spawning:
- Bass are up shallow
- Bass are locked on a specific area and won’t move
- You can visibly see beds
- Bass are red behind the gill plates
- Bass have bloody tails from fanning the beds
Bass Fishing During the Spawn
During the spawn bass aren’t focused much on feeding. Most of their needed energy came from the pre-spawn where they were feeding up in preparation. However, they do become super territorial and aggressive which can make some great fishing opportunities.
Catching bass during the spawn comes down to two basic strategies. Targeting spawning bass on beds or targeting bass that are in the pre and post spawn phase. If you are targeting spawning bass on beds, these are the best bed fishing baits to use.
Best Baits for Bedding Bass
- Swimbaits (bluegill color)
- Tubes
- Jigs
- Drop Shot
- Carolina Rig
- Texas Rig (craw patterns
- Senko
- Shaky Head
If you are targeting bass that are not locked down on beds traditional spring lures are an excellent option for pre and post-spawn bass. In this case, some of the best spring bass lures would include the following baits and lures.
Best Baits for Spring Bass (Pre-spawn & Post-spawn)
- Jerkbaits
- Swimbaits
- Finesse worms
- Lipless crankbaits
- Spinnerbaits
- Bladed Jigs
- Squarebill crankbaits
The Bass Spawn: key Takeaways
- Bass spawn in the spring when water temperatures are around 55-70 degrees
- Bass spawn in protected shallow water on hard bottoms, preferably around structure
- Not all bass spawn at the same time
- Bass become very territorial and aggressive during the spawn and don’t feed much
- Spawning depth is influenced heavily by water clarity (clear water = deeper beds)
- Male (Buck) bass will move up first and stay later
- Moon phases can influence when bass move up to spawn
- Bass will spawn deeper in clear water and shallower in dirty water
- Smallmouth bass prefer to spawn in deeper water compared to largemouth bass
- Female bass will deposit over 2,000 eggs
Final Thoughts: Bass Spawn
As we have discussed in this bass fishing spawning guide, bass will spawn in the spring starting when water temperatures reach 55 degrees and they typically finish spawning when water temperatures get above 70 degrees.
Understanding when the bass spawn occurs, what to look for and how to use this information to your advantage as an angler is extremely important. This knowledge will help you become a more effective and efficient angler and I would encourage to utilize the information the next time you hit the water.
