If most bass are in deeper water during winter how far will they really travel to find a spawning area?

The reason I'm asking is, if the main lake is 120' deep and the feeder creeks are 80' deep at the mouth would a bass travel up the feeder creek 7 miles to find a flat spawning area swallow enough to spawn? This seems excessive to me.

Another lake I know is really an old river system. The bottom is mud and the feeder creeks are also mud lined. Would a bass travel up these creeks until they find a hard bottom (which could be miles) or just locate on some other structure?

Robert

I don't know the answer to your spawning question, but last year my buddy caught a 12lb14oz fish and released it 3 miles from where he caught it. 3 weeks later he caught THE SAME fish not more than 100 yards from where he had caught it previously. That fish found its way home across 3miles of 200ft deep open water.

Your question relates to high land and hill land reservoirs from the discription offered.

Bass can spawn on a flat rock or tree stump, if that is all that is available, however they prefer protected coves from wind with some cover. High land and hill land reservoirs that are 30 to 50 miles long will have several major creek arms feeding into the main lake river bed. Each of the big creek arms are lakes within a bigger lake, so look at arms in those terms, plus the main lake body of water.

Divide the lake into 1/3rds; lower, middle and upper and thats about the longest distance bass living in that reservoir tend to travel. Up and down the creek arms and out into the main lake body to seek prey, confortable water temperatures and to spawn. There are always exceptions, like low water levels and severe weather conditions that affect migrations. Several miles isn't unusaul on large impoudments, if prey and available spawning sites are long distances apart.

WRB

A bass will travel as far as needed to get the job done, and if the same place that shes was hatched is no longer undre water, she will simply find another suitable place to do her business.

In 1997, I witnessed the Sabine River Authority giving out replicas to people who caught double digit bass and registered them.

2 of those fish was tagged and caught twice that year.     The two fish have came from 15-20 miles down lake.

Catt can give the actual miles they travelled.     Both bass was released mid lakes by the  Tx/LA bridge that goes to Many on hwy 6.

The first fish was caught in six mile creek the first time, and was caugh again a few weeks later a mile from original place where caught.,

The second was Housen Bay and it was almost home in that short time frame during spawn and was caught a second time that year.

Those fish travelled by boat, and was released  when measurements was taken.    They swam double digits to get back to their home waters.  

      By the way, during their travels back down lake, they both managed to gain weight, considerable weight when you look at the energy used to go back that far.

Interesting story.

So if Salmon and other species will make the annual run, I don't see why bass would be different.    Lots of fish make the migration runs.

The distance a bass will travel to spawn is unknown by man but bass like the two Matt mentioned have traveled 17 & 22 miles respectively. Some bass on Toledo Bend's were hatched on main lake structure, spawn on main lake structure, and live their entire life never having seen a shoreline. At some points Toledo Bend is 5 miles wide so why would a bass not travel to the shore is an unknown since it is apparent they are capable.

I was at Toledo Tackle when the second bass was weighed in at 12 pounds & change

Catt...what a fish!!!! Yow!!!

I saw a largemouth Bass hitchhiking on Rt. 6 in Connecticut last week. It looked like a Florida strain!!! Quite a distance!!

Hold up now that at the Catt  

I was at Toledo Tackle when that bass was caught & verified as being caught a second time miles away from where it was released.

My experience with bass is almost entirely in natural northern lakes and rivers with LM and SM.

Smallies in northern lakes move a lot.  Interestingly, they tend to school by year class. They may feed on the same structure but it will be at different times of the day.  

I don't think northern LMB move much at all.  They maybe on the bank when conditions are right like in low light periods but won't move very far when the sun comes up.  And if the bank provides enough overhead cover, they won't move at all.  They just bury in the heavy cover.