Do the bass in a power plant lake move into the areas with the warmest water or do they simply follow their normal movements based on seasons?  Basically, will their be a higher concentration of bass on the warm water side of a lake in the winter than any other time of the year?

Yes.

LMB prefer warmer water if it's available to them. There is distance factor, LMB far away from the warming water don't know there is warmer water somewhere farther away then they can sense it.

What happens is the baitfish also like warmer water in the cold water period and tend to migrate towards it, the bass follow the bait.

Tom

I think some do, some don't. I've fished on a few warm water influenced lakes, and I think there are some bass that go live in the warm stuff, and some that don't care and stay put in the cold.

If there's a warm water discharge, the fish will certainly be more active there than other areas. But fish that arenowhere near there will seek the warmest water that also satisfies their other needs. They probably won't get too far from deeper water in winter though. 

 

However, when we think we know something about bass as a rule, they break it.

Agree with the above that nearby fish tend to move towards it, but fish further away aren't as effected by it. I have noticed if there is a sustained wind blowing the warm water plume towards good fish holding areas, those areas that are far away from the actual discharge can get red hot, even though it only warms the water up a few degrees in a day or two, so I pay a lot of attention to the wind direction the days leading up to when I'll be fishing one. 

Anyone know of power plant lakes near southeast pa?

 

14 hours ago, Quarry Man said:

Anyone know of power plant lakes near southeast pa?

 

Lake Anna in Virginia. Take 95 South.

I wish we had one somewhere near me!