What water temps do you generally see fish starting to move back to the creeks form the main lake? Does the water temp determine how far back the bait fish go? For ex do you find fish in the middle of the creeks when water is a certain temp range, and in the back of the creeks during a lower temp range? I know it all depends on the bait fish, just curious what you guys have seen over the years and how you plan your fall fishing locations based on water temps.

I haven't figured the fall transition out in Texas yet. I've lived here for about 18 months and this will only be my second Fall. I can tell you that in Virginia the last two weeks of November are a feeding frenzy. Absolutely my favorite time of the year to fish. The fish were usually located mid way back in the creeks all the way to the mouth of it. I'd throw a lipless crank all day long.

They have been moving that way on the lakes I fish for a month or so. Not sure if there is a magic temp that causes the move but I feel like small fronts, cooler weather etc all prompt the move.

I just start checking these areas towards the end of summer and once I figure out some fish are moving I keep hitting those areas.

Can anyone show a picture or better description of what is generally meant when bassers refer to a creek or main lake? When i think of creeks I think about THE CREEK. like where you can cast accross it from the bank..

Mark, what kind of areas are you checking? Same as spring where you look for creek channel swings, points, grass... or is there something more specific in the fall you will target?

I�ve noticed there seems to be more schools of shad in the mouth of coves/pockets. Still plenty on main lake too. Next week temps start cooling pretty good and water temps in low 80�s now will be in the 70�s. Usually though around October they really start getting up more shallow thru November. Definitely seeing more fish chance bait up shallower now.

The areas I circled are "creeks" or "creek arms". The "main lake" is the area the creeks flow into and is defined by the original river channel which is dammed to create the reservoir.

I dont think it's got a lot to do with water temp. Atleast a specific temp. Seems like around September some fish start moving back, especially if any type of northern front comes in. They may not ever make it to the back of the creeks, that's all up to the shad.

Days are getting shorter

This has helped me follow the Fall migration. As you drive the lake watch your depth finder for suspended bait fish. Prayfish will be following and feeding on them at that depth usually over the whole lake. Swing into each of the coves that have major creeks feeding them. Bait and migration will NOT be taking place in all of them at once. There will only be a few of the coves on the lake that there will be no question that they are moving toward the back 1/3 of the creek. You will see massive runs of these fish all at the same depth and the depth will vary from day to day. If I am seeing massive numbers of fish at 15 ft. when I turn into a cove and that continues at least half way back then I get to fishing. The bite will be most productive at that depth on points as the fish connect to the shoreline points at that depth. I do not fish the SHAD color baits. I want to mimic all the other species that are eating the bait. Bass like the easy meal when following and watching this action. Bass will take the wounded as easy pickings. I have had better results catching Bass while mimicking the pattern of the other species. Bass can not stand these species acting out of the ordinary during feeding frenzies. They will run in and take out one of the prayfish. Once October gets here the Bass will run into the Crayfish Spawn on the spawning flats in that back 1/3 of the cove and usually change gears; devoting their attention to the large male Crayfish that are Orange/Black and Green.

There are a couple of not so good Videos on YouTube on How a Crayfish Flees. I mimic this action with my Baby Doll Jig and Baby Doll Chatter. The Chatter Bait with brush guard has been the most effective.
- Make your cast to heavy cover beside grass if possible. Most of the time if a bass is around it will take the bait on the fall just before touching bottom.
- If no taker; slowly drag the bait along the bottom until it touches the first obstruction like a rock or log. This is when a Crayfish takes a stand in the defensive mode. This is also when he gets eaten.
- If no taker: Lift the bait with rod to 12 O'clock while taking up line. A Crayfish has enough energy to make two of these roller coaster motions as he flees. Do not let the chatter bait touch the bottom; making the second up and down roller coaster action.
- Let the bait then fall back to the bottom. Sometimes this is when the strike occurs when the bait is sitting. The living rubber skirt is floating around, the small claws on the trailer I use is also moving while the bait is sitting.
- If no taker: Repeat the dragging motion very slowly until the bait backs against cover. Be ready as this is the moment that the fleeing action is complete and the Bass will move in for the kill.

Water temp isn't the complete deciding factor for fish to move shallow, it's the bait fish. The fish follow the bait. I've been catching fish back in creeks for a couple weeks now. So if you go into the back of a creek and you see lots of bait, chances are there are bass around. Since it's very early in the Fall (technically not even Fall), I'd start around the mouth and only fish half way or even just 1/4 of the way back. After months of the water temp staying in the 80's and 90's, once it drops 3-4 degrees, you'll start seeing bass show up shallower.

Fished major creek arms last weekend at a COE Lake . Nothing shallow , limited bait swimming around , they will be there soon .

Thank you for the explaination thirtysixit!

Thanks, Brandon!

77 degrees is the magic number. Most open water algae blooms stop below this temperature. Once that happens the shad will start to migrate into the creek arms chasing the receding algae blooms. They'll stay in the creeks until the water gets into the mid 50's. Below 55 degrees a big cold front can cause a major shad kill. At that point they'll migrate back out to open water which is less susceptible to major water temperature swings.

So check the water temp. The closer it is to 77 the more likely they are to be in the first 1/3 of the creek arm closest to the main lake. (Shad that is). Closer to 60 they are likely to be much farther up the creek arms. I'm not sure if a certain portion of the bass population follow this migration or if the migration just triggers resident bass to feed as the shad move past them through the creek arms. In any case, find the shad, find the active bass.

^^^

Great info.
Doing a duckweed/algae experiment for my 7th grader Science Fair project. Will update

Going deeper into the creek arm holding shad is new to me, and helpful. I moved to Cedar Creek a couple years ago, and the major arm I'm on (mid-lake) is FULL of shad past few days (water temp 82). They're thick EVERYWHERE in first third (haven't gone deeper into creek yet), popping the surface across acres of water. I see wounded shad often, and I see fish under and around the shad on electronics ... but I can't get LMB to hit. I think most of the predators are sand bass and blue cat.

Behind going deeper in cove and focusing on points, structure once there ... any other thoughts, suggestions?

(If your suggestion is to head over to Lake Athens, I understand! But I'm determined to get good on CC.)

A number of lakes locally have had creeks full of shad well over that 77 degree mark. Have caught some fish in the very far backs of creeks that were stuffed full of shad as well.

Hi Donald Harper,

Would you be able to tell me what type of plastics you have in that picture?

Some of my stash from the 90's. I believe they are old Culprit Craw Worms. They had about a 4 inch worm body above that Craw belly. I just took that off so they fit my chatter baits nicely.

Thanks Don!

Can happen earlier. Water temp below 77 can kill the bloom. Also a lack of nutrients in the main lake can kill the main lake bloom earlier even if water temp is above 77. It's just a good rule of thumb. Another good rule of thumb would be tied to rain. The less rain the lake has gotten over the summer the less nutrients in the main lake the sooner the bloom will die down. Just rules of thumb though there are lots of complexities that can shake things up.

How do you think all the rain in DFW this weekend will affect the lakes around here?

Lots of great info above. Thanks guys!

As for the rain? Look for good fish to be very tight to shallow cover. So tight, that if your flipping you should actually hit the cover. The muddy/stained water is gonna make the fish look for the security of a dark chunk of cover. Brush, stumps,dock pilings, under Hydrilla mats, etc.