Effect of water temp on topwater fishing?

[learnin]

Is there any water temp that's generally accepted as too low for effective topwater fishing?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I was catching them on a Shimano World Popper last Feburary in 41d water temps which is about as low as the water gets down here, so I'd say no.

 

During the coldest months of the year, that's when I see by far and away the most surface schooling activity.    In the summer and spring I rarely seeing Bass schooling and blowing up bait on the surface.   

[looking45]

FLW was here at Lake Shasta one winter. It was snowing and several

anglers said they caught fish on toowater. They were catching spots

[Jig Man]

One of my best top water days was on Christmas Eve down at Bull Shoals.

[thediscochef]

I stop fishing topwater in the summer, but the rest of the year it's become my go-to. The last year or so has convinced me that there is always a topwater bite somewhere. Might be a real small window but it's there. I caught my PB spotted bass on a pop max in February. 

[Pat Brown]

Nah - the colder the water the bigger your top water fish are gonna be, seems like.

[webertime]

Up in my neck of the woods 50 degrees is when we intentionally start to throw them.

[Swamp Girl]

Like Alex and Pat, I've also caught them in cold water. In fact, I caught 51 on the surface this morning and one more on a spinnerbait. 

[papajoe222]

Anything below 32 and it gets tough.

For me, it seems that smallmouth will hit topwater in late fall when water temps drop less than in the spring when the surface temps are rising. I don't normally throw topwater unless the water temp is above 50.

[learnin]

Thanks to all for the info.

[Standard]

Much like @papajoe222, I stop throwing topwater once they start bouncing on the hard water.

[r83srock]

I used to put a topwater down after a certain water temp. I ended up winning a club tournament a few years ago  fishing a frog in 48 degree water temp. I fish a topwater now as long as there is soft water. 

[gulfcaptain]

On 10/15/2024 at 7:11 PM, papajoe222 said:

Anything below 32 and it gets tough.

 

Gotta use the punching approach with them topwaters.....lol if it doesn't break through,  get a heavier bait 

In honesty with me I pick it up around 55 in the spring and fish it down to about 50 in the fall. I probably could catch all year in S.Cal but our fish don't act normal and when you classify fishing shallow and its 20ft deep.....Haven't seen many bass wanna travel 20ft to the surface to eat a bait in 50 degree water temps,  at least not in S. Cal.