Hill Country lakes cool into a fall bass and crappie pattern

What's biting

What's next

Expect the bite to follow the next cool front. A drop in air temperature should pull surface water toward the 70°F readings we're seeing at the cooler gauges, and that is when crappie and bass typically start moving shallower to feed.

Plan around the low-light windows. Early mornings and the last hour before dark are the best bets for topwater and soft jerkbaits in the shallows. Midday, shift to jigs around docks, rock and fallen timber, as Tactical Bassin (blog) describes for fall fish that hold tight to hard cover.

The waxing crescent moon gives dim light after sunset, so evenings stay fairly dark. Don't expect a strong moon-driven push this week, so weather and water temperature are the better guides. A steady cooling trend is the signal to watch.

For crappie, Wired 2 Fish suggests fall fish can be found by scanning deeper water with side imaging before fishing them, since schools can sit in around 20 feet.

Context

Mid-October is typically the start of the fall transition on Texas Hill Country reservoirs. Surface water that spent the summer in the 80s begins to ease down as nights lengthen and the first fronts arrive. Bass that sat deep through the heat generally begin following baitfish toward shallower flats, creek arms and cover. Crappie tend to group up around structure and respond well to small jigs and minnows as the water cools. The timing varies from year to year, so a warm stretch can delay the shift by a week or two. Check current lake levels and ramp access before heading out, since conditions differ between the lakes.