I was reading a post in another section about La Cygne, a power plant lake in Kansas, and it got me thinking about something.  In these power plant lakes where warm water is constantly discharged, how does that affect the spawn.  Is the spawn a cyclical thing where fish always look to do it around the same time of year?  I know a lot of it is dictated by water temp, but if that stays constant during the winter months what triggers the bass to begin?

No don't about up yonder in Kansas......

But down here on power plant lakes, we wait until the water temp gets DOWN to the magic temp. Currently, on one local lake, it is between 61-68 and the bass are going into pre-spawn with some bucks wanting to bed.

In all the years fishing this lake, we have also realized that more often than not, there is more than one spawn. We can find them in September/October as well. Just not very many.

water temp is one varible. Amount of sunlight per day is another trigger.

Unless it is a small lake, fish will start spawning in the warmer water first , then the upper end on down. On the lake i fish, there will be different areas in different stages of spawn. There will be fish spawning from feb. to May and sometimes june.

I don't know if fishing these bodies is so safe Look what it did to the shiners up here

WOW..NOW THAT IS A BIG SHINER....WHAT SIZE BASS WOULD EAT THAT THING? NOT THIS SIZE THOUGH.....LOL

I think that moon phases also have something to do with dictating when bass spawn.

I think that moon phases also have something to do with dictating when bass spawn.

After water temperature and ammount of light, not before.

I can say this, but cannot really explain it as I am not a biologist.  I rarely fish, but will soon fish Lake Powerton in Pekin, Il.  It is loaded with Smallmouth.  Anyways, the geese there reproduce and hatch almost a month sooner than in natural lakes.  You can be there in early April and the gooslings are already the size of chickens.   Cannot comment on the fish though.

The water temp and the moon phase. In my area the fish in warm water lakes should be starting on beds now. In other lakes not warm water discharge your looking at  Apr /May.

At Lake of Egypt in southern Illinois I know some guys that work at the power plant and during breaks they will fish at the discharge area and they catch huge fish year around.  They brought a couple crappie home last week and all of them were full of eggs.

I read a pretty good article on the spawn where the author had observed bass moving toward the beds even in cold water but holding at 8-10' until the water warmed.  His speculation was that the eggs swelling in the belly caused the momma bass to begin to move more so than temp.