There is probably no better time to fish for bass than when the water is between 60 and 70 degrees. It isn’t too hot yet where the majority of fish pull out of shallows and head to deeper water. But it’s also not so cold that they aren’t actively feeding. It’s that perfect temperature where you can catch bass after bass all day long if you know what to do. Thankfully, if you read this article you will!
Spring bass fishing in 60-70 degree water
Once the water hits 60 degrees in most fisheries you’ll be hitting the peak of spawn. If you don’t know, “spawning” simply refers to the time of year that bass lay eggs and make baby bass. However, it’s a process that can last from days to weeks for most bass.
First, females will lay their eggs in what we fisherman call “spawning flats”. These are shallow, protected areas of the lake, usually with hard bottoms, where fish feel safe laying their eggs. Once the female lays her eggs, she will swim out and allow the male to drop his sperm to fertilize them. However, the male doesn’t leave once eggs are fertilized. He will stay until the eggs hatch and guard the bed from predators like other fish and birds looking for easy meals on fish eggs.
This whole time, the female is usually close by as well. Maybe just a bit deeper out than the males, recuperating from laying eggs. These females are more interested than males in eating, but still can be difficult to catch.
Once you hit the mid 60s, most bass will be finished spawning. Then in the upper 60s to 70 degrees you’ll find most bass in “post-spawn” mode, which can be a great time to catch tons of fish who have stopped reproducing and are worried about eating again instead of making new bass.
Where to find bass in 60-70 degree Spring
So you know in the early 60s that bass are spawning and are located on “spawning flats”. Then, they go into post-spawn. But what does that all actually mean? Below is a picture of a topo from my favorite fishery. Can you guess where the spawning areas would be?
First, understand that bass will move up and down creek arms throughout spring, with the spawn being their final destination. After they reach their destination, the spawning flat, they usually turn back up creek and head back where they came from. And generally they will do this up and down the same creek arm year after year.
Knowing that, if you have caught bass at any time in the spring you’ll just need to follow the creek arm to its end. That is where the bass will likely spawn. But specifically they will be searching for protected coves – places where boats and wind don’t affect them. They also make their beds on nice hard surfaces instead of leaves or mud – so finding some kind of hard surface is also key.
Thankfully, you can literally see a bass on a bed. So even just using your eyes to scan the shallows can alert you to where some bass are spawning. Keep your distance to not spook, but with patience you certainly can catch a bass on a bed. And know that the larger females are usually in the same area.
If you find the spawning flat, you also know where bass will be post spawn. They will just turn right back where they came from and head back out the creek arm. But do remember that the bass have likely not fed heavily for awhile – so they aren’t looking to swim large distances. Chances are they are just a few hundred feet from where they spawned. Look for the edges of boat docks or just off secondary points – places where bass can ambush easy meals.
Now, look at the same image below and see if you guessed where the spawning flats and post-spawn locations were. Did you get it right?
How to Catch Bass in Spring 60-70 Degree Water
So you know where they are – that is the biggest key. But you still need to know what to catch them on, right? Let’s get into that next.
Ned Rig
The ned rig is known to be a great bait for highly-pressured fisheries or when the bite is tough. This is absolutely true – but not a lot of people talk about one of its best uses – a great spawning bait.
A male on a bed does not want to eat, it wants to protect its eggs. This means you won’t make them bite by presenting a tasty meal. You have to annoy them into biting or making them think a predator is trying to take eggs and make them attack by biting. A ned rig is great for this. As it is easily castable, cam mimic a small fish trying to steal some eggs, and has an open hook to easily hook a bass.
Try and aim for very annoying, bright colors that will grab a bass’s attention. Dye the tip in chartreuse if you really want to cause a commotion. Or just aim for pink, white, or other bright colors that will make a bass easily see something is in their bed and want to chase it off.
Buzzbait
On the other end of the spectrum, a lot of postspawn bass will go crazy for a buzzbait right after spawn. They are generally still shallow enough that topwater lures can work throughout the day, as long as it isn’t bluebird skies. A little cloud cover will be exactly what you’re looking for, or throw these around boat docks and other cover that protect the bass from direct sunlight.
My favorite buzzbait is the Booyah Squelcher but anything that is extremely noisy will work. If you don’t want to use buzzbaits, whopper ploppers are a great second option that work just as well. Even a popper can attract fish that are a little less aggressive, though I find I generally catch smaller bass on a popper during post spawn.
Fall Bass Fishing in 60-70 Degrees
Fall bass fishing in this temperature range is a lot different than Spring. These are going to be the days you want to target to fish all day long – because you can have great days of fishing. Bass after bass if you find the right balls of bait fish.
And that is the #1 key to fall bass fishing in general, but definitely in the 60-70 degree range. Unlike the spring, bass won’t be using the creek arms as channels to reach spawning flats. They’ll be using channels as highways to reach baitfish. So find the creek channels that have balls of baitfish throughout them, and you’ll also find the ones with bass in them.
But, bass are often less stacked up and you need to cover more water at this time as well. They will generally be heading shallow, but you can still catch them deep as well. Especially in the middle of the day when the sun is beating down on the water. The ends of secondary points can be deadly during this time of day. Look at a few potential options in the map below of where bass may be in the Fall in 60-70 degrees.
Look at a map of your lake and find a few areas like this. Then, turn on your fish finder and start looking for balls of bait. Even if a spot looks great on the map but has no bait – leave it and find another spot. There may be a bass or two but you can find much larger numbers in areas that have lots of bait for them to feed on. And that is where the bass that will bite easily are too.
Baits for bass fishing in 60-70 fishing in Fall
Since you’re searching for bass feeding on baitfish, you also want to be mimicking baitfish with the types of lures you use. Plus, you want to be covering a lot of water. So something you can fish quickly is key as well. Here are my two favorite options.
Squarebill crankbait
No surprises here, a squarebill crankbait is just a great fall bait that starts shining once the water hits 70 degrees. You can fish it in a lot of places thanks to its bill that deflects off cover easily, and often causes a bass to bite. Think rocky points, the end of boat docks, and grassy flats. Even just cast it along a bank until you start getting bit.
I prefer the KVD squarebills because they have a great color selection and are made by probably the greatest crankbait fishermen ever, Kevin Van Dam. Go ahead and leave the crawdad colors in the box, you’ll want anything that mimics the type of baitfish you have in your home lake. This is most often shad, but can be blueback herring or even bluegill.
Spinnerbaits
Probably my favorite all around bait is the spinnerbait, and it really shines at this water temperature. They’re easy to cast a long way and perfect for covering a ton of water quickly. They can also mimic almost any kind of bait fish as they just shine and shimmer like a small fish turning quickly in the sunlight. They come through almost anything other than grass flawlessly as well. They’re my favorite bait to fish around stumps and boat docks.
I have always been a believer of War Eagle spinnerbaits, but again pick your favorite brand. Try and match the size to your baitfish – if they are smaller go with a ⅜ ounce spinnerbait. If they’re larger, go with a ½ ounce or up. Generally baitfish are larger towards the fall months, so I usually go with a ½ ounce at least so I can really cast it and cover water quickly. Colors are up to you, but a plain white is always my go to.
Conclusion
I can’t think of a better water temperature range than 60-70 degrees, at least for bass fishing. It’s usually not too hot for the fisherman, and it’s just cool enough that the bass aren’t sluggish and will feed aggressively. Just make sure you follow the above based on your season and I’m sure you’ll be on the bass in no time.
If you do go out and catch some fish, how about posting about it below or following us on our socials and sending some pictures? We love interacting with readers and knowing our tips are being put to good use!
