Why Bass Stop Biting In Hot Weather (And How To Still Catch Them)

Summer can be one of the most exciting times to hit the lake and chase after bass. However, there are times when the weather gets too hot, and the bite shuts off completely. Here’s everything you need to know about why that happens, and how you can react to it to still catch some big bass in the heat.

The main reason why bass bite less during hot weather is due to their metabolism changing. When the outside temperature rises, the water temperature rises too. When this happens, oxygen in the water becomes less dissolved, leading to bass becoming much more lethargic. They begin feeding in much shorter windows and try to avoid chasing after their food too much.

It’s common to find this oxygen-deprived water in areas like stagnant backwaters and in shallow flats without current or wind. If bass are still in these areas, they’re less likely to hit anything you throw at them. However, many bass aren’t going to stick around this type of environment, instead choosing areas like windblown banks, places with current, shaded shallower water, or deeper water.

With the bass acting this way during hot weather, it’s pretty normal for a lot of your favorite bass baits to stop working. Here’s why:

Some of the most productive baits for bass fishing (spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits, etc.) tend to lose effectiveness when the sun and temperatures are at their peak during the day. Bass aren’t going to want to chase after some of these fast-moving baits, and they aren’t going to be as likely to give you a reaction strike.

When the water is a little bit colder, you’ll commonly find bass attacking a ton of different baits from a long way away. During the summer heat, it’s pretty common for them to only feed on baits that are within a few feet of them. Anything outside of that distance is just too much work for them to go after.

Another thing to pay attention to when bass fishing during these hotter months is that their feeding windows are much shorter than they are at other times of the year. Instead of them feeding consistently throughout the day and being able to get reactive strikes out of them by peppering their spawning areas, you’ll have to shift to their feeding windows.

These are typically right away in the morning for a couple of hours, and right before dark for a couple of hours. Night fishing can also be really effective during the hotter months. If you miss these feeding windows, it can lead to a very slow day of fishing for you.

Another factor that plays into their feeding stubbornness is the fishing pressure they experience during the summer months. Even though the bass aren’t as active all throughout the day, summer is one of the busiest times of year for anglers to hit the water and chase after bass.

In lakes, rivers, ponds, and reservoirs where there is a ton of pressure, bass are going to become lure-shy and not bite things that they’ve seen presented to them hundreds of times. This, paired with their already minimal feeding habits, leads to some tough days of fishing where you need to get smart and creative to get the fish you’re after.

So we know that hot weather leads to bass being more lethargic with rising water temperatures. They don’t want to chase after certain presentations, they don’t feed as often, and they’re heavily pressured by anglers all over the lake. How do you combat this and still get after these fish effectively in the summer?

The first thing you need to think about is the speed of your presentation. You don’t want to only use those fast-moving chatterbaits all day long. Instead, you want to focus more on the slower rigs. Try Texas rigs, wacky rigs, drop shots, and ned rigs for the majority of your fishing time. When you’re fishing these rigs, you want to make sure you’re fishing them slowly, too, letting them sit for a while before retrieving, while also mixing in plenty of pauses.

You also want to make sure you’re fishing in water with as much oxygen as possible. This means going to areas like windblown banks, areas with current, and grass lines in the 5 to 12 foot range for depth. These areas are key, as they either have water that is cycling through and bringing oxygen into them, or they have abundant plant life helping to create oxygen in the area.

Another key set of features to look for during the hotter months is shade and cover. These areas stay cooler (which the bass like) while also providing ambush points for them to get an easy meal. Look for places like docks, laydowns with overhead cover, or steep banks with fast transitions to deep water. If you find these areas with shallower water, they can be ideal to fish during those early and late feeding windows.

It’s also important to keep in mind what kind of body of water you’re fishing in when looking for bass during the hotter months.

If you’re fishing a deeper natural lake, chances are you’re going to find bass suspended out in the open water near the thermocline. This will usually be in the 15 to 25 foot range for depth. If instead you’re fishing a shallow lake, you might be better off looking for bass in shallow vegetation between 3 and 8 feet, as they’ll commonly go bury themselves in that cover.

In reservoirs, it’s more common to find bass relating to structure drop-offs. Look for ledges or points that go from around 10 feet of water, all the way to 30 or more feet of water rapidly. With all of these, you’re really trying to hone in on depth and oxygen mixed with some amount of food for them to go after when they do decide to feed.