Smallmouth bass fire off as fall cooling reshuffles the bite

What's biting

What's next

With a New Moon, light levels are low at night. Dawn and dusk windows should be the most reliable stretches for anglers working the shallows. If water holds near 60°F, expect Smallmouth Bass to keep feeding up ahead of winter. Tactical Bassin points to hard structure such as dock pilings, laydown trees and rocks as the places fish position in fall. A jig worked slowly along those spots is the pick when the bite gets tough. Soft jerkbaits and small topwater baits suit calmer, warmer afternoons.

Walleye are the other fall target worth planning around. Fishing the Midwest describes a plain snell rig with a bottom bouncer and nightcrawler as a go-to when water cools. It is a Midwest-based tip, but the method is general. Brookdog's September reports described a strong walleye bite and good lake trout action using jigging, including deep-water jigging for Lake Trout. Cooling water should keep those patterns moving in the right direction.

Flow is worth checking before you go. One gauge, 01357500, reads 1,480 cfs, and gauge 01358000 reads 6,640 cfs. Those are moderate to elevated numbers for fall, so check upstream conditions and wade carefully. Two other gauges, 01359139 and 01354230, show 61°F and 59°F water with no flow reading available.

Trout anglers should note a regulation reminder from NY DEC's Fishing Line, which highlights October 16 trout season regulation reminders in its October 9th issue. Check current state regulations before you head out, especially on streams where Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Brook Trout may be targeted. The same publication is also tracking fall-run trout activity in Lake Ontario tributaries, which draws crowds this time of year.

Context

Mid-October is typically the heart of fall transition in the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes. Surface water has shed its summer heat, baitfish tend to move toward shallower cover, and predators follow. Water in the upper 50s to low 60s is generally comfortable for Smallmouth Bass, and they usually feed aggressively ahead of winter. Walleye also tend to become more accessible as the water cools and they move toward structure.

Trout fishing typically improves through October as stream temperatures drop and flows stabilize. Brown Trout and Brook Trout are moving toward spawning behavior in many Northeast streams this time of year, so anglers should handle fish carefully and avoid wading through spawning gravel. Fall hatches and baitfish imitations in streamer patterns often work well.

Bluegill generally slide toward deeper water as weeds die back, and Fishing the Midwest notes that living green weeds are a good place to start looking for fish in fall. That advice applies to panfish and gamefish alike as oxygen drops in dying weed beds. Overall, the season is on schedule for a typical fall bite, with cool-water species becoming steadily more active.