Spawn
Also called bedding, on beds
What is the spawn in bass fishing?
The period when bass move onto shallow gravel beds to lay and guard eggs, usually as water settles into the mid-60s.
Spawn at a glance
- Water temperature
- Mid-60s °F
- Bottom
- Hard, often gravel
- Bites are
- Territorial, not feeding
- Beds look like
- Pale circles in the shallows
What happens during the spawn?
Males fan out a circular bed on hard bottom in shallow water, females move up to lay, and then the males stay to guard eggs and fry. The beds are visible as pale circles in clear water, and the spawn is the peak of sight-fishing season for that reason.
Why do bedding bass bite differently?
Bedding fish do not eat much, so bites are territorial rather than feeding. That changes how you fish: a bait dropped into the bed and left there provokes a fish that ignored everything moving past it.
It is the one time of year when doing nothing with a bait out-fishes working it, and when repeated casts to the same square foot are the correct approach rather than a waste of time.
Should you fish for bedding bass?
It is the most ethically debated period in bass fishing. Many anglers avoid targeting bedding fish, or return them immediately and close to where they were caught, because a bed left unguarded for long gets stripped by bluegill.
Several states also close or restrict bass fishing during the spawn, so the question is sometimes settled for you. Check your own regulations rather than assuming.
If you do fish beds, land the fish fast and release it right there. A guarding male returned near his bed is back on it within minutes.
What this means when you’re choosing
- Hard bottom in two to six feet, on protected north-facing banks that warm first.
- Water temperature rather than the calendar. The spawn tracks degrees, and it can run weeks apart on two lakes in the same county.
- Your state's regulations for the season, since some waters close or restrict bass fishing while fish are on beds.
The common mistake
Putting a bed fish in the livewell
The fish is guarding eggs, and moving it even a short distance down the bank leaves the bed unattended long enough for bluegill to strip it. Whatever you think of bed fishing, the handling rule is the same: land it quickly, keep it out of the water for seconds, and release it where you hooked it. A returned male is usually back on the bed within minutes.
Common questions
At what water temperature do bass spawn?
Generally as water settles into the mid-60s Fahrenheit, though it varies with latitude and with how stable the weather has been. Temperature tracks the spawn far better than the calendar does.
Is it bad to fish for bass on beds?
It is debated. The fish is guarding eggs rather than feeding, and a bed left unattended gets stripped by bluegill. If you do it, land the fish fast and release it right where you caught it. Some states also restrict bass fishing during the spawn.
Where this comes up
The guides that use spawn and show it on real gear.
Last reviewed . Spawn is one of 222 terms in the fishing glossary.