Fishing Report For Lewis Smith Lake, AL

Current Report: Good

Lewis Smith Lake is well known as a great spotted bass fishery. Spots are being caught in deeper water than the largemouth and smallmouth bass, as they tend to school, and hold in deeper water outside the same areas as other bass.

WINTER. The cold Winter weather has drawn spots, in large groups, around deeper structure, points and creek channels - virtually anywhere there is baitfish. They can be found from 25 to 60 feet deep throughout Winter. Some of the bigger fish hold as much as 10 feet deeper. Here they hold, feeding less aggressively, waiting warmer water to return in Spring. The best results are coming from anglers fishing very slowly, with finesse worms on shaky heads, small jigs, and drop-shots.

SPRING. Early in Spring spotted bass hold in 10 to 20 feet of water, staging outside spawning areas. As Spring, progresses, spotted bass spend time in 5 to 15 feet of water, around nesting areas on protected flats and in the backs of coves. Once they spawn, females head to deep water to recover, while the males stay to guard the eggs and fry. Afterwards, they too move to deeper water, usually close by the spawning areas. Look for them on points and ledges near these areas. Daily movements find the bass moving shallow to feed, especially early and late in the day. Deep crankbaits, spinnerbaits, small jigs, plastic worms and swimbaits are now catching plenty of spotted bass.

SUMMER. Spots are typically caught on steep, rocky banks, ledges, humps, drop-offs and standing timber, in 10 to 30 feet of water, sometimes even deeper. At night they often venture shallower to feed. They tend to gather in small schools and hold, preferring to move up and down the water column on steep banks looking for food and ideal water temperatures. They are occasionally feeding shallow, early and late in the day, where they are being caught on topwater, crankbaits and swimbaits. Drop-shots, Ned rigs, and wacky-rigged stick worms are catching finicky bass when they are deeper. They feed here on shad, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points and ledges 18 to 30 feet deep. Spots will also hold in the shade of heavy, shallower vegetation.

FALL. Fall weather at night, cools the shallows more quickly than deeper sections of the lake. The cooler water invites baitfish and spotted bass into coves and bays, where crankbaits, swimbaits and spinnerbaits, are often very successful for catching spots. Early, and late, in the day, spots often school up and feed in 2 to 8 feet of water, around creek mouths, shaded pockets, docks and brush. They move into 10 to 20 feet of water, or more, as the day warms the shallows.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Crappie fishing continues to impress, as anglers are catching nice crappie here at Smith Lake. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal.

WINTER. The current water temperature is in the mid 30's. Now that the shallows have turned cold, crappie have migrated to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. Currently they are being caught using a very slow presentation, in 18 to 25 feet of water. Most are caught around creek channel bends, submerged timber, deep brush piles, and main-lake structure. Good reports are coming from standing timber and deep brush piles near creek channel bends. When they suspend in open water, they often relate to some cover, or structure change, directly below them. During warming trends, especially warm afternoons, they are drawn into 10 to 14 feet of water to feed.

SPRING. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 8 to 15 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as both black crappie and white crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 3 to 8 feet of water. Vegetation, docks, brush and wood are where most anglers catch crappie using small crappie jigs or live minnows. After the spawn, crappie typically move outside the spawning area and hold on cover close by, in slightly deeper water. Once they move deep, anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

SUMMER. Water temperatures get quite warm, and crappie fishing is usually pretty good. They feed in 8 to 15 feet of water early and late in the day, until the hot Summer sun causes them to retreat to depths of 12 to 25 feet. Also, a few have embedded in the shade of slightly shallower vegetation. This is a good time to focus around brush piles, standing timber, deep lay downs, bridge pilings and deeper docks. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep structure and around creek channel edges, using fish-finder electronics.

FALL. As Fall begins warming the shallows, baitfish, move into shallow flats, coves and bays, which draws crappie into these areas. They will be feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter, in 8 to 18 feet of water. Minnows, hair jigs, and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon. Late Fall which turns the shallows cold, starts pushing crappie deeper, toward winter holding areas. Small flutter spoons, fished in 10 to 14 feet of water, are a good option during this transition. Good results typically come around points, creek channels, and brush piles.

Current Report: Good

Roaming schools of threadfin shad, gizzard shad, and blueback herring keep schools of big stripers fat and healthy here. Anglers being successful at fishing for stripers here are locating these schools of baitfish, and finding wolf packs of stripers nearby. Fish finders are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Stripers exceeding 30 pounds await anglers stealth enough to trick them into biting.

WINTER. Now that Winter has set in, stripers are hanging out in deeper water. They usually feed close to the bottom, around 25 to 50 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of shad and blueback herring. The main lake basin, along deep channels is holding schools of stripers, especially in the section of lake around Ryan Creek, Sipsey Fork and Rock Creek. Locate schools of bait, then look for stripers close by. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are caught while drift fishing with live bait or cut bait. Spoons, blade baits, and heavy hair jigs are also effective this time of year. Due to the stripers slower metabolism this time of year, anglers are triggering more strikes by working baits more slowly.

SPRING. Water temperatures are return to the mid 60's, and that's ideal for the stripers to spawn. In Spring, work the upper end of the lake, and the backs of coves, where there is inflowing water. If they spawn, this is where they will lay eggs in the moving water, in 8 to 15 feet of water. They also move into transition zones on the main lake, in 10 to 25 feet of water, feeding on baitfish which are moving toward the shallows. Expect to locate them on mid-depth ledges, flats or points. The lake regularly serves up stripers in the 30- to 40-pound range, and many anglers believe there are much bigger ones to be caught.

SUMMER. Summer months are the ideal time to chase striped bass here. These stripers hang out in deeper water during the heat of the day, 20 to 60 feet deep, early in the season. Much of the time they are holding over deeper, open water. Morning often draws the stripers shallower, so look for them around the 15-foot range as they feed on roaming schools of baitfish. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Later in Summer, expect to locate schools 20 to 35 feet deep. Fish finders, and sonar electronics, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.

FALL. In Fall, stripers return to shallower water. Early in the day stripers chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. They follow schools of bait, which are hanging out in 8 to 15 feet of water. Look for shallow water along wind-blown shorelines, nearby deeper river channels, and fish them thoroughly. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch striped bass at this time of year. Late Fall will find most of the stripers in 20 to 40 feet of water.