Fall walleye and smallmouth set up as reservoirs cool

What's biting

What's next

Water in the low 60s is where fall feeding tends to pick up, so expect fish to keep moving toward baitfish and remaining green cover. Fishing the Midwest advises looking for living green weeds as waters cool, because baitfish and gamefish relocate to the weeds that are still alive. Check those edges first for smallmouth and for crappie and bluegill, which often hold tight to cover.

For walleye, Fishing the Midwest describes a plain rig of a bottom bouncer and a snelled nightcrawler as a go-to in cooler water. Tactical Bassin shows that adding a blade to a swimbait can draw fish chasing baitfish in fall, so an underspin is worth having tied on.

The First Quarter moon puts moonrise around midday and moonset near midnight, so the evening hours carry some moonlight. Plan on the low-light windows at dawn and dusk, when fish typically move shallower. If temperatures keep sliding into the 50s over the coming week, expect the bite to slow and fish to settle deeper by midday.

Context

Mid-October is typically the heart of the fall transition on Ohio and Pennsylvania inland reservoirs. Weeds begin dying back, baitfish concentrate, and predators shift from summer structure to wherever food is stacking up. Surface temperatures in the low 60s are on schedule for the date. Fish are generally feeding actively ahead of winter, and anglers who adjust depth to the day's temperature and light usually see steady action. Check state regs before harvesting any fish.