In your experience, how does this sudden heat wave change the behavior of bass as it warms the water? We seem to closely watch and discuss falling water temps in the fall, but what about rapidly warming water during a nearly country-wide heat dome?

@MN Fisher and I were posting in another thread about the summer heat and he pointed this out:

"Also don't forget that water doesn't heat up evenly. The readings you're taking are at the surface while temps at 5', 10' or lower will be less...sometimes upwards of 5-10 or more degrees lower than what your graph is showing you. Deeper basins it might still be only 50-55 at the bottom while the surface is showing 80-85".

This is 100% accurate. So, in your experience, how do the bass react? On two of the lakes I fish regularly, I find that the bass will move just a little deeper and further from the bank until the surface water temps become a little more stable and/or the warm water penetrates a little deeper. The bass that I was catching under a log in 3 feet of water approximately 3ft from the bank are now on that same tree but in 7ft of water 10-12ft from the bank. On another lake I just start finding them under the docks rather than moving deeper.

Please describe the changes you have seen in these conditions and have a blessed 4th of July! Try to keep all your fingers.

21 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

On another lake I just start finding them under the docks rather than moving deeper.

A lot of it depends on circulation. On a pond or even just a shore that's mostly protected from wind, which causes waves, which mix the first couple feet of water - you might have a fairly decent difference in temps between the open water and that under a dock/overhanging tree/etc.

Places I fish no circulation, I have to wait the heat wave out.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years. Lite to moderate rain in warm lake waters the bass will get active. Heavy storms dumping inches of rain the bass get funky for a few days, then get active again!

10 minutes ago, geo g said:

Heavy storms dumping inches of rain the bass get funky for a few days, then get active again!

That's when I find them on drains and at places where the current turns or pinch points.

If you can hit a River. It’s really hot here in Missouri. Went to the River this morning great day on Spots and Smallies. Waded at the dam on the James River. There were tearing up a Neko rigged Zoom thick trick worm. But we have plenty of water too

Depends on how deep the water gets. Some lakes are just not very deep, so the water temperature is fairly even all through out the column. I fish a couple lakes that only get to about 15 feet. I can't imagine the water being cooler from top to bottom there.

Deeper lakes can also develop a thermocline which is a cooler, oxygen-rich layer of water that often attracts certain species of fish and their prey. Not every lake develops one; it depends on the depth. Mille Lacs Lake, which is 132,000 acres, is not deep enough to have one even though it's quite a large lake.

If I was a fish I'd be looking for relief from the sun/heat. Shade in the form of pads, thick weeds, over hanging trees, or docks all provide that. The temperature in the shade can be several degrees cooler than in the direct sunlight.

As @bowhunter63 stated, rivers can be excellent fishing in midsummer. I've experienced phenomenal smallmouth fishing in rivers when the lakes were boiling.

Here they’re all over the water column this year, regardless of heat. They’ll be stacked up from 3’ down to 60’, usually on the steeper banks when it’s really hot.

We are having a bad drawdown this year, and they are staying more in the main lake than scattering up the river channels. I think this is the best explanation of their behavior and weird patterns this year. Hopefully the monsoons put some water in the system and get them back on a more even keel.

55 minutes ago, ElGuapo928 said:

We are having a bad drawdown this year

Yes, falling water can really slow down the bite. Best of luck to you and your weather.

Regardless of how fast the water temps climb into the 80's, fishing slows down in comparison to water temps in the 70's.

This one particular lake that I fish for 2 weeks every August to early September where water temps are in the mid to upper 80's ,

Catch all fish in 10 - 15 of water on points and steep banks.

Look forward to it each year simply because they've become predictable on this particular lake.

2 hours ago, gim said:

If I was a fish I'd be looking for relief from the sun/heat. Shade in the form of pads, thick weeds, over hanging trees, or docks all provide that. The temperature in the shade can be several degrees cooler than in the direct sunlight.

I'm fishing Sunday mid-day and Monday morning, so like gim, I'm going to probe weeds. If they're not there, I'll slow roll something in the deepest water. I don't have enough experience with heat to know if this'll work.

2 hours ago, gim said:

If I was a fish I'd be looking for relief from the sun/heat. Shade in the form of pads, thick weeds, over hanging trees, or docks all provide that. The temperature in the shade can be several degrees cooler than in the direct sunlight.

I'm fishing Sunday mid-day and Monday morning, so like gim, I'm going to probe weeds. If they're not there, I'll slow roll something in the deepest water. I don't have enough experience with heat to know if this'll work.

I fish @BigAngus752 said out a little further from the tree or cover, I try and fish the shadow line of the morning sun. We have a few springs on lake George too, just have to find them hanging out around them.

It attracts the party people in the summer too, hard to fish the transition of the sand bar with a Za-Zillion people parked on it.

I tend to stay away from the shade trees near the shore since those areas see a ton of fishing pressure this time of year.

The majority of the time I'll be fishing the flats in the thickest coontail and milfoil that I can find.