Summer Fishing Presentation
A quick slide show: the best species for the season, how to fish them and lakes to try.
Max Creel presents
Summer Fishing: What's Biting and Where
Heat pushes fish deep or into low-light hours. Find shade, current, weeds and the thermocline.
Use the arrow keys or the buttons below.
Summer · Top pick
Channel Catfish
Water above 70F brings nighttime feeding on flats and shorelines from 3-15 ft. During daylight they rest in deeper holes, 15-30 ft, or around wood. Chicken liver, cut shad and dip baits are reliable.
- Cut shad or bluegill
- Chicken liver
- Nightcrawlers
Summer · Top pick
Smallmouth Bass
They favor clean, cooler water and hold on rock humps, current breaks and gravel points at 10-30 ft. Mornings and evenings bring them shallower. Drop-shots, tubes, ned rigs and crankbaits that bump the bottom are dependable.
- Tube jigs
- Drop-shot with small minnow plastics
- Ned rig
Summer · Top pick
Largemouth Bass
Once water tops 80F, fish feed best at dawn, dusk and after dark in 4-8 ft, then hold on shade, docks, weed edges and ledges around 10-25 ft by day. Fish slow, heavy cover with plastics, frogs over matted weeds, and deep crankbaits on points.
- Plastic worms (Texas, wacky, Carolina)
- Jigs with craw trailers
- Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits
Summer · Top pick
Bluegill
They scatter along weed edges, docks and shade, 5-15 ft, and mornings and evenings are most active. Crickets, worms, and small poppers under a bobber are classic.
- Worms and crickets
- Wax worms
- 1/64-1/32 oz jigs
Summer · Top pick
White Bass / Wiper / Striped Bass
They form open-water schools chasing shad at 10-40 ft. Watch birds and surface splashes. Topwaters, spoons, and slabs work early and late, with downriggers and live bait for deep fish.
- White jigs and curly tails
- Spoons and slabs
- Inline spinners
Summer · Top pick
Lake Trout
In summer they move deep to cold water under the thermocline, 40-100+ ft. Jigging tubes, spoons and cut bait with downriggers or heavy jigs. Fish rocky structure.
- Jigging spoons
- Tube jigs
- Cut bait
Summer · Top pick
Muskellunge
When temps rise to 70-80F they roam weed edges, humps and rock bars at 8-20 ft. Big bucktails, topwaters and glide baits are staples. Fish first light, last light, and after dark.
- Large bucktails
- Glide baits
- Jerkbaits
Summer · Top pick
Northern Pike
With water above 70F, pike seek deeper, cooler water and weed edges at 10-25 ft. Spinnerbaits, big spoons, and swimbaits along weed lines. Early and late are best.
- Bucktail spinners
- Large spoons
- Jerkbaits
Before you go
Pack it, check it, fish it
- Check your state's regulations, because limits and seasons change.
- Open the lake page for the map, ramps and nearest bait shop.
- Run through the trip checklist so nothing stays on the kitchen counter.