Best Water Temperatures for Bass Fishing (Complete Guide)

Water temperature is the most crucial thing to consider when setting off to fish for bass, and it can be the deciding factor on how you should approach your angling to net the most fish.

While bass will bite readily in water temperatures between 61-84° F, the ideal water temperature range to catch bass consistently in is between 74-79° F when bass are most aggressively feeding and daytime highs do not force bass into shaded or deep structure.

Water Temperature (°F)	Quality of Bass Fishing
Below 40°	Bass will be in deep main-lake holes. The bite will be sluggish but possible.
41-50°	Late fall and early spring water temperatures. Bass bite will be slow but can be good with finesse baits.
51-60°	Seen often mid-Spring and mid-Fall. Bass may feed aggressively to recover from or prepare for winter.
61-68°	Can be very good if occurs in early fall as bass chase schools of baitfish. Expect bass to chase moving baits.
69-73°	Probably the best temperature range for bass. Expect great fishing all day long.
Above 74°	Fishing will be very good until water temps rise above 80 degrees. Then the bite will slow tremendously.

While even seasoned fishermen might tell you that bass will bite at any temperature (which isn’t entirely wrong), there are certain things to consider in how differences in temperature and sudden shifts can change bass feeding habits.

This article will cover the ideal temperatures for bass fishing with a particular emphasis on typical bass behaviors at given temperature ranges, what baits and lures to use for different conditions, and how bass react to storms and sudden changes in water temperature.  

Please check out this very helpful guide to the best times to fish for largemouth bass. It contains a ton of helpful information about the best seasons for largemouth bass fishing, how largemouth bass fishing changes throughout the day, and tips for largemouth bass fishing times.

Bass Fishing by Water Temperature 

Below 40°

As water temperatures dip below 40°, bass angling is at its toughest. A bass’s metabolism is going to be significantly reduced in these conditions and they will be far less inclined to follow artificial lures.

Bass will typically only be found at the deepest parts of a water body, especially in rocky or covered areas that can provide shelter.

Using the correct bait or going with a larger profile that will displace more water and be more attractive, especially with slow motions or tapping the bottom, is best practice when targeting bass below 40°. 

Click here to learn about bass fishing at night. You may also be interested in learning how good windy day bass fishing is.

41-50°

This temperature range is ideal for bass fishing in the winter, especially when coupled with sudden dips down at a higher mark in this range.

Winter acclimated bass will be keen to seek out food in the 41-50° range, and will typically chase bait, though a slower approach is still best at this time. 

51-60°

The 50-60° range, typically bordering the change of seasons depending on what part of the country you’re in, is one met with a significant uptick in activity.

Bass will jump at any opportunity for ideal bait and will typically be found more dispersed and aggressive in these temperatures if it’s nearing their spawning period.

As temperatures rise above the 55° mark, bass will fall into their predictable summer-like patterns and will be great sport.  

61-68° 

At these temperatures, bass are going to be ramping up their activity and will go after spinners and crankbaits, or anything presented with more motion.

While anything between the 55-85° mark may not signify much of a difference for bass activity, adjacent temperature changes or inconsistent dips at this range can be met with particularly voracious bass, moving out from cover and more to the middle.

Bass will also be much more inclined to aggregate into schools at this range, particularly when chasing schools of baitfish. 

69-73°

Crankbaits, spinners, soft plastics, you name it and bass will probably bite it. This range signifies more stable summer conditions which bass love, when they’re typically found waiting in cover and ready to pounce on anything that passes by.

Particularly favoring the dusk and dawn hours at these temperatures, a bass’s predatory instinct is at its best in calm conditions in this temperature range.

These are excellent conditions for bass angling in any part of the country, and bass will pretty much go for any presentation. 

Above 74°

Above 74° marks the heart of summer, where bass are going to be both at their most active but wary of significant temperature rises.

Using an approach similar to the last temperature range, it’s important to note that as water temperatures move above the 80° mark, bass feeding will slow down significantly and they may become more nocturnal.

You’ll tend to only catch them truly active in the morning and evening, though they’ll still retain activity throughout much of the day as long as there isn’t a significant heatwave on the horizon.

Is Water Temperature a Big Factor in Bass Fishing?

One interesting thing to note about bass is that they’re capable of tolerating relatively large temperature changes without being significantly affected. Between 55-85° F, bass typically aren’t going to deviate their location within their water body and will be roughly just as likely to bite.

They aren’t as particular as other species, with some anglers standing by the opinion that temperature really doesn’t matter much at all most seasons when it comes to bass fishing.

However, moving beyond this 55-85° range is where you’ll run into lethargic bass that are prone to seeking cover or moving to better waters, though you can certainly still catch bass in these more extreme temperatures. 

Bass are cold-blooded, meaning that their body temperature is going to match the ambient water temperature. Since their metabolism is positively affected by higher temperatures, as temperatures increase into the 70s and low 80s, bass activity will increase slightly.

This also depends on trends in weather, with 3 consecutive stable days in the mid-70s being notably ideal weather for bass fishing.

This is important to note, as it does reflect predictable changes in bass movement patterns. Most significantly, bass are a predatory species that are going to move within their water body in response to the behavior changes of their baitfish, who are also differently affected by temperature. 

So, while it may seem from experience that temperature isn’t really a crucial thing to consider when bass fishing, bass are going to have predictable responses to temperature that, when understood, can significantly up your fishing game and give you a better chance at pulling in a trophy bass. 

Seasonal Water Temperature Guide for Bass

Winter

Bass can sense cold fronts from pressure changes coming from miles away and will begin to either move to where it’s warmer or will find protection from a variety of sources.

Bass can’t stay particularly active in water colder than 40°F, generally becoming more sluggish and less inclined to chase lures for any significant distance, making a slower approach necessary.

In the 40-50° range, bass are still active and inclined to seek food but their metabolism has already begun to reduce, so angling techniques should ideally slow below the 50° mark. 

The key to winter bass fishing is to find a place where there is a deep, more insulated spot adjacent to a shallower region, such as areas with steep underwater humps, where bass tend to find a place to live and hunt moving between deeper and shallower areas.

When winter hits, bass instinctively know where to go, making it your job to predict where they are and how they’re going to move to survive through the cold. 

Spring

An important thing to keep aware of in spring is bass spawn and pre-spawn behavior. Bass begin their pre-spawn feeding frenzy as waters just begin to reach 50°, moving from deeper winter grounds into shallow flats.

At this time, when they’re feeding they’ll strike at just about anything that looks like food. As waters move into the 55-65° range, they will begin to spawn.

The females will lay their eggs in the same spot every year, while males will fight over who gets to mate with them. This makes them particularly easy targets, but it’s important to keep aware of angling practices that might disrupt successful spawning. 

In the early spring, pre-spawn can be disrupted by abnormally cold conditions driving temperatures below 45°. When bass have already moved from their winter grounds, this can cause them to become unusually sluggish and unlikely to bite. 

Summer

Bass fishing is at its height in the summer months. You can typically find them near steep drop-offs or ledges in rivers and streams, where they hang out in the shade of vegetation and wait to ambush their prey.

Near dusk and dawn, between 70-75° is the optimal range for summer bass fishing, with no significant disruption to their feeding behavior unless water reaches upwards of 84°F.

The warmest part of a summer day tends to be between noon and 3:00 PM, and bass respond at these times by becoming less active due in part to the increase in temperature and the greater light penetration of their water body.

If water temperatures reach above 85° F, expect bass to seek the depths or cooler water and not respond well to artificial lures.

Another great technique when there are long strings of hot days is to fish the shallows at night, as bass will be more active at night in these conditions. 

Fall

Bass tend to get more aggressive as the weather first starts to cool in the fall, wrapping up their summer feeding frenzy in preparation for the winter. While bass do favor slight sudden drops in temperature, anything significant is going to scare them off.

Typically maintaining good conditions in September, as the average water temperature approaches 55° and below (usually in October), bass activity will begin declining and they will start to seek areas with depths adjacent to flats.

A good fall temperature range is going to be between 50-60°, with any temperature below 46° F driving bass to seek shelter. 

Many believe that you need to use smaller lures and be more precise with your casts in the fall, but bass are primarily reliant on their vision, and on overcast fall days it’s good practice to go with a larger profile to cause more vibration. 

Fall is still a great season for bass fishing, as long as you keep your sights near deeper parts of a water body, especially around structures like fallen trees and rocks.

Does Air Temperature Impact Bass Fishing? 

At a first glance, air temperature isn’t going to appear to have much of an impact whatsoever on bass fishing. However, one thing to note as it that as air temperature warms up, especially with rapid and sudden changes, insect activity will generally spike up as well.

This can cause an increase in activity throughout the remainder of the food chain, which is especially important given that bass are highly opportunistic feeders. This depends, of course, on the location of the water body you’re fishing in. 

However, unless there are consistent trends of colder or hotter above-water temperature lasting more than a week, a larger or streaming body of water isn’t going to be noticeably impacted by air temperature.

Bass retain a similar level of activity in a very large temperature range regardless, which makes air temperature for the most part an insignificant factor for bass activity.

How Cold is Too Cold for Bass Fishing? 

Bass feeding activity will slow down at water temperatures below 50°, especially during warmer seasons like summer. The dramatic drop in water temperature will shock them. Bass may still feed but fishing will be slow.

Bass are extremely tenacious, making them retain activity at even some of the coldest temperatures given your location.

However, it’s important to note that they will begin to significantly reduce activity when water drops below 50°, favoring deeper water that provides more insulation.

Below 40°, in order to catch bass you’ll need to dangle bait almost directly in front of them, presenting slow and easy food to entice them to eat. 

Even as waters are near freezing, a proficient angler can still catch the occasional bass but it’s best to wait for better conditions.

Unless you plan on keeping your catch, pulling a bass at these temperatures can be significantly detrimental to their ability to survive, which makes catch and release not viable at these conditions. 

How Hot is Too Hot for Bass Fishing? 

Bass can tolerate significantly high water temperatures considering their ideal temperature range, making even the height of summer very viable for bass angling. It’s important to note, however, that 85° is the cut-off mark where their appetite is suppressed in favor of increasing their survivability.

Bass will move to more insulated depths at these times and will try to stay out of the sunlight by hiding in covered areas. 

Bass will not respond well to any bait above this temperature point and will most likely shift to only being active at night time.

Night fishing for bass is still great fun on hot days, and bass will tend to prefer darker, more bulky lures in the dark as they rely on vibration and water displacement to detect bait when they can’t see. 

Storms & Weather Changes: Impact on Bass Fishing

Like most fish, bass will tend to be positively affected by stormy weather, especially in times where there are slowly approaching storm fronts. Bass have sensory organs that detect pressure changes, with sudden changes typically driving them to ramp up activity and quickly find food.

Rainy weather is particularly a great enticement for bass who begin to roam from their usual ambush spots as they rely on their vision to find food. 

Storms are going to have a similar effect on bass regardless of the ambient temperature of the water body, with colder weather and snow being the only time a storm may negatively affect bass movement.

In cold weather, bass will move to deeper waters during storms and will tend to stay there for some time to wait for temperatures to stabilize.

Drop-offs and ledges are particularly good spots to cast your line in these conditions. Stormy conditions in hotter weather tend to have the opposite effect, with bass moving closer to the surface to target scattered baitfish.

When it comes to bass fishing, the most crucial thing that should decide whether or not you hit the lake is your own safety, as lightning and high winds can quickly become a dangerous situation for even an experienced angler.