I've heard of bass spawning in like 8 or 10 feet of water, which is deeper than what most folks think of when they think spawning bass. But do some bass spawn in 20-30 or deeper water?

Yes.

I can only speak from personal experience, but I know that on Cayuga Lake in New York State, both Largemouth and Smallmouth will sometimes spawn in up to 30 feet of water. It is more common with Smallmouth I believe.

Dang, I didn't know that.

 

Now, the question, which bass spawn deeper? Is it bass that normally stay deeper all the time? Or does some of the shallow bass go deeper?

2 hours ago, Bazoo said:

Dang, I didn't know that.

 

Now, the question, which bass spawn deeper? Is it bass that normally stay deeper all the time? Or does some of the shallow bass go deeper?

I don't know, and I am not sure how you could determine that.

On Toledo Bend there is a population of largemouths that live in shallow water and another that lives out deeper - say 18-25’. 
 

Those living out deeper will naturally migrate to the shallows to spawn in the spring but not all. There are some that will spawn in deep water but in my experience water clarity needs to be clear. 
 

 

Water clarity, substrate and current play a roll I'm sure but wouldn't think largemouth spawning at depths of 30' is all that common.

 

Yeah a deep spawner to me is basically the fish that spawn more in the mouths of creeks/ in the drains and on the ledges on the way out of creeks.

 

Deep is relative to water clarity and I merely think of any bass that isn’t spawning where I can clearly see it - as spawning deeper.

 

Bass move around in schools a lot and then when they get to their favorite piece of structure the schools often break up into smaller groups and even pairs or individuals and I think water temperature and conditions and the presence of baitfish all contribute to their instinctive drive to either propogate or not.

 

I have seen areas loaded with active beds where the females orbit and patrol the area and stay deeper and not just individual female bass sitting and staring a their beds or whatever we think of it as.

 

It’s cool because when these angry moms feel a threat they investigate together and if one of the big girls notices somethin fishy happening at all she will often bite the stupider more aggressive one to deter her from taking the hook and bait.

 

This is why we often say “you gotta make em react”

 

My feelings are that fishing for spawning fish is mostly all we are doing most of the time.

 

I find that in areas that bass spawn shallow they’re usually also spawning deep on that same structure.  It’s not necessarily that some bass live deep and some bass live shallow although that does happen - I think it’s more like there’s only so much good real estate on any given piece of structure so the deeper areas get used as well as the shallow areas - nature abhors a vacuum and nothing is wasted.

 

What’s REALLY interesting is when you get a spell of dirty water and a wave of fish feel secure spawning very close to the bank and then suddenly the clarity returns - that’s about the only time around here you see active beds because bass are trying to target that sweet spot where sunlight can still warm their eggs AND birds and anglers can’t see them super easily.  Sometimes we catch them with their pants down for a couple days when clarity changes rapidly!

 

Remember bass can see 3-4 x the water clarity roughly- if we can see 3 ft - they can observe us from 9-12 while we lob crickets at their eggs.  If we are fishing less Than 10 feet of depth a bass glued to the bottom can watch you walking the bank where you can only see 3 feet down.

 

My theory as to why these spawning structures get easier to catch on early and late in the day (especially sunny days) is that as the sun rises and the shade line develops it condenses active minnow and juvenile fish around their active nests and obviously bass hate that and spend that part of the day using a lot of energy AND eating (efficient) stuff around their nests *UNTIL* those baitfish are relegated to their deep haunts OR bury in the bank cover for the day and the bass can just chill until the wind picks up or clouds roll in and restart the madness.  If the bass can’t stop killing infinite minnows it becomes a little harder to register Bazoo sneaking up and pitching a jig.  On a sunny day - the calmer periods will have the big females condensed on the deeper sides of the beds watching for the return of the pest swarm and on cloudy days you will see them patrolling the bank cover edges - keeping the swarm at bay.  On a cloudy rainy windy day - they might be chasing swarms off their beds ALL DAY LONG!  Especially if the minnow have tons of food in that area they need.

 

When bass aren’t spawning on structure around here - I don’t care how much they’re feeding or what time of day it is - artificial lures ain’t gonna work lol

 

Even if they ARE on bed - if they study your bait for even a second or two they usually won’t bite AND if you cast to a fish more than once they know it’s a bait and really won’t bite.

 

Reactions are key!

 

My favorite time to catch them is when they first move back onto a good piece of structure after a period of roaming and rest - they clean house for a day or two before making nests!  They get super aggressive!

Not saying ALWAYS but a LOT of the time - the 3 days leading up to the new or full moon can be house cleaning 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes. Years ago I was fishing on a lake that I believe I could have read the newspaper headline at 15’. Bass were on the beds everywhere at 15’.

I know just enough to second everything that Pat says.

On 8/21/2025 at 5:52 AM, Bird said:

Water clarity, substrate and current play a roll I'm sure but wouldn't think largemouth spawning at depths of 30' is all that common.

 

Its definitely not. And it depends on what we are calling "deep."

 

A quick online search pulls this up:

 

"No, bass do not spawn deep; they actually move into shallow waters to spawn and build nests. However, the depth can vary depending on factors like water clarity and the type of bass. In clearer waters, bass will nest in 4–8 feet of water, while in darker waters, they may only nest a foot or two deep. Some bass, particularly larger and spookier fish, may remain in deeper water during the spawn, but they still move shallow to create nests."

 

And that tends to be the case here in Florida for our LGM bass. I can't speak for smallies and other species outside of Florida and what others experience, but my general experience here in Florida is 6 feet or less is what they prefer and I've seen some 10 pounders on nests 3 feet from shore with 6 inches of water over top of her. Real shallow.

 

Take lake Toho for example. Years ago that lake was dying out. Clogged up with vegetation and had decaying organic material on the bottom in some places between 10 to 20 feet deep.

 

Biologists took over that lake and drained it of water and brought in the bulldozers, front end loaders, backhoes, and dump trucks and they scraped the bottom of that lake back to pure sandy bottom.

 

One of the biologists told me the secret to why the fishing exploded on that lake and it became so famous for lots of big bass was because the biologists played a trick in mother nature.

 

I was told when they reshaped the bottom of the lake, they created all new wide shallow sandy flats just to provide the bass with more than twice to 3 times the size areas of previous natural lake spawn areas. After they filled it back up with water bass fishing exploded.

 

If you watch recent tournament fishing in Florida where they fly drones overhead to videotape pro bass fishermen, they followed some of them back up into crystal clear spring runs off the Harris chain of lakes.

 

In that drone footage you can clearly see the bass beds. None of them were in water deeper than 8 feet. All of them in shallow waters with most in 4 feet or less.

 

Bass will not spawn on muck bottom. They can't fan out a bed and its not the right conditions for them. Gotta be clean sandy bottom in mostly shallow water less than 8 feet deep. At least here in Florida this is my experience with LGM bass. I would bet you the reason for shallow also has something to do with heat of sun as well as ability to protect fry, and to give fry a chance at life closest to cover for protection like their parents had to do when they were young fry.

 

The online search I did above says clear water they spawn deeper in 4 to 8 feet of water. But in darker water they spawn in 1 to 2 feet of water. Now why would this be? I am betting it is directly related to sun warmth and necessary light for those fry as well as close to protection and food sources for the fry which is far more plentiful in shallow waters near edges of lakes and rivers.

 

Deeper is more deadly and less likely fry can survive in as great of numbers as they can in shallows near cover for protection and food for them.

 

Here in Florida I'd say 8 feet deep is reaching the limit. Can't say I have ever seen any beds deeper than that here. Most are in 2 to 6 feet of water.