OVERVIEW

Weekly Bass Spawn Map and Report

Welcome to Versus Country - Weekly Bass Spawn Map and Report.

Every week, the Versus Country - Weekly Bass Spawn Map and Report will update you on state of the Bass spawn, provide some great tips and techniques, and our map demonstrates the state of the three phases of Bass spawn across North America.

We encourage everyone to let us know what you are seeing in your neck of the woods, just click the "Comment" button and let us know. And if you’ve a photo to show off your catch, add it to our "Fishing Map."

Pre-Spawn

The pre-spawn period begins when water temperatures are 55 to 58 degrees. Bass are headed for the spawning areas and will often group up in "staging areas" where Bass fishing fantasy turns into reality. Staging areas that concentrate a lot of fish tend to be close to spawning areas and usually have a structural component - a sharp depth change (a ledge), a strong main-lake point. Add cover--like stumps, brush, or aquatic vegetation - and you may have the proverbial honey hole.

Spawn

The Bass spawn is dictated by water temperature, and local weather conditions can advance or retard the spawn by several weeks. On any body of water, it is a pretty safe bet that some Bass will be spawning when the water reaches 62 degrees and the spawning ritual is largely over when the water temperature climbs to 70 degrees. In general, look for spawning Bass in 1 to 5 feet of water over hard sand or clay bottom , either close to the bank or on large flats. Yes, largemouth may spawn as deep as 12 feet in lakes with very clear water.

Post-Spawn

The post-spawn period follows the spawn. In many lakes, Bass will bunch up in the same staging areas used during the pre-spawn phase. Heavy cover is often key to post-spawn heavyweight Bass.

Keep in mind a couple realities as you apply this map and report to Bass fishing at your favorite fishing destination:

•	Small, shallow waters warm faster than large, deep lakes.
•	The Bass spawn may occur up to a month earlier on the upper end of large lakes and reservoirs with relatively small inflows.
•	On the other hand, Bass will spawn earlier in backwaters isolated from the main river flows in lakes and reservoirs fed by large rivers.

Weekly Bass Spawn Report for 6/9 - 6/16

Except for the northern Rockies, the Bass spawn has reached the Canadian border. In the smaller lakes the Bass will be shallow for only two to three weeks—barely time to build a nest, hatch the eggs, and guard the fry. Although many lakes near the Canadian border support excellent Bass populations, year-class production in these lakes depends on the weather. A late spring or an early winter can mean a very weak year class—the young Bass simply don’t have enough warm-water days to feed, grow, and accumulate the energy reserves to get them through the long winter. Anglers debate whether there is really a post-spawn pattern in these upper U.S. lakes. This may be because, in many lakes, the Bass do not need to move far from spawning areas to summer areas. The post-spawn bite can be tough, but jigs and soft plastics on weed edges and offshore weedbeds can produce heavy catches. Check out the interior as well as the edge of the offshore wedbeds. In lakes with shallow weedy bays the Bass may go to (or stay in) shallow weeds, especially if they are thick. Generally, slow-moving baits on or near the bottom are most effective. Shallow does not necessarily mean a flat bottom--look for depressions or depth changes.