WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2026 · E.V. SPENCE RESERVOIR
Summer doldrums bite is tough. Early and late with plastics on deep brush and ledges. Plan to grind.
WATER 75°FAIR 73°FWIND 5 MPHSEASON SUMMERPOOL -54.6 FT
Water is 75 degrees and stained, which is typical August grunt. Bass are sluggish and pulled deep to find cooler, more comfortable water away from the heat. The lake is sitting 54 feet below full pool which is low and common for this time of year. Pressure is steady and clear skies are bluebird, which pushes bass into thick cover and deeper structure during the day. Sunrise and sunset are your windows, especially with the solunar major around 7 a.m. and another at 7:16 p.m. Expect slow fishing overall, but fish that respond when you put a soft plastic in their face on deep structure.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:09 AM to 9:00 AM
Rocky ledges and brush lines in 12 to 18 feet on the channel edges. Target any transition from shallow flat to deep water where bass stage before dropping deeper as light increases.
Green pumpkin or watermelon-colored stick bait or creature bait, 4 to 5 inches, 3/16 to 1/4 ounce. Drag it slow along the bottom or shake it in place near brush. Don't rip it. Let gravity do the work.
This is prime time when bass are looking up and willing to feed before the sun gets high. The solunar major at 6:55 a.m. into sunrise gives you a genuine edge. Water is cool and the bass have fed overnight, so they're more active than they will be all day.
MORNING · 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Same ledges and brush but deeper, 15 to 22 feet. Move to channel bends and the steeper drop-offs where bass have already retreated from shallower morning water.
Dark colors, junebug or dark brown stick bait, 4 inches, 3/16 ounce. Keep it on bottom and work it slower than the early bite. Make vertical casts and let the bait hang. Patience over speed.
Sunlight is getting harsh and clear skies push bass away from shallower ground. They're settling into deeper structure where there's shade and cooler conditions. Reaction bites drop off, so finesse and placement matter more than covering water.
MIDDAY · 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Deepest available brush, channel edges 18 to 25 feet, or any timber pile sitting in 20-plus feet. Fish tight to the cover, not around it.
Small stick bait or drop shot, 3 to 4 inches, 1/8 to 3/16 ounce weight. Fish the drop shot vertically or drag it slow on bottom. If you use a stick bait, barely move it. Let it sit and twitch.
The heat and bright sun create a complete shutdown in shallow water. Bass that are eating at all are locked on deep cover and are lazy. A tiny, slow presentation fished right on the wood is your only shot. This is grind time and bites are few. The solunar minor at 2:11 p.m. might trigger a bite if one's going to happen, but expect long stretches with nothing.
LATE AFTERNOON · 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Channel edges and ledges 15 to 20 feet. Gradually start working a bit shallower as the sun angle drops.
Watermelon or green pumpkin stick bait, 4 to 5 inches, 3/16 ounce. Slow drag or shake retrieve. Same basic approach as midday but now you can fish slightly more ground and move a little faster.
As afternoon heat peaks, bass are still deep and sluggish. You're not expecting a burst of activity yet, but you can cover more water without losing bites. The sun is still high enough that shallow stuff is dead.
EVENING · 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Transition zones between deep channel and shallow flats. Start on 12 to 18 feet and work both deeper and shallower as light fades.
Green pumpkin or natural shad-colored stick bait or small creature bait, 4 to 5 inches, 3/16 ounce. Speed up your retrieve slightly as light drops. You can work a bit more aggressive now.
As the sun gets low, water temperature feels less oppressive and bass get more confident. They begin to slide shallower and look up. The solunar major at 7:16 p.m. is right in your window and can trigger a solid bite.
DUSK · 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM
Shallow brush lines 6 to 12 feet with quick access to deep water. Any flat with timber or laydowns near a channel drop-off.
Watermelon with red flake or green pumpkin stick bait, 4 to 5 inches, 3/16 to 1/4 ounce. Work it with a bit more pace. You can also throw a small topwater if bass are genuinely active and chasing.
Light is fading and bass are actively feeding now. Water feels more comfortable and they're willing to move. This is your second-best window of the day. If the bass are going to bite anything reactive, it happens now.
NIGHT · 8:45 PM to 11:00 PM
Shallow flats and brush lines 4 to 10 feet near deeper structure. Stick to areas you know and can navigate safely.
Dark stick bait, junebug or black, 4 to 5 inches, 3/16 ounce. Slow retrieve or let it sit and twitch. Keep retrieve steady and controlled in low light.
Bass feed at night when water cools and light pressure eases. You can still catch fish this deep into evening if you stay patient. Night fishing is often underused and can be surprisingly productive on this lake in summer heat.
Where to fish
- Main Channel Edges — 15 to 25 feet · Hard bottom transitions, drop-offs, and scattered brush. Classic Colorado River substrate with rock and clay.
Bass stack on channel edges because they offer quick access to shallow flats and staying in cooler, deeper water during summer heat. This is the workhorse pattern for August on Spence. - Rocky Ledges Near Channel Bends — 12 to 20 feet · Exposed rock shelves, submerged points, and layered bottom transitions where old creek channels cut through flats.
Rock creates hard structure that bass relate to and concentrate on. Ledges near bends funnel bass movement and provide cover in open water. - Brush Lines on Flats — 6 to 14 feet · Isolated timber, brush, or fallen trees on otherwise open bottom with nearby deep water access.
Brush provides the only shade in shallow water and concentrates bass, especially early morning and evening when they range away from deep structure. Any brush with a quick drop-off nearby holds fish. - Upper Creek Arms with Stained Water — 8 to 18 feet · Old creek channels, points, and brush in the murkier upper arm of the reservoir.
Stained water cools slower than clear water and often runs slightly warmer, which can concentrate bass when main lake gets too hot. Also easier to approach quietly on foot or boat.
What to throw
- Stick Bait (Senko style) — 4 to 5 inches · Green pumpkin or watermelon with red flake · 3/16 to 1/4 ounce (All daylight hours, especially early morning and evening)
Drag slowly on bottom near brush and ledges, or shake in place vertically. Avoid ripping. Let the bait work on its own. - Creature Bait (crawdad profile) — 4 to 5 inches · Brown or green pumpkin · 3/16 ounce (Early morning and late evening when bass are slightly more active)
Hop it along bottom near brush, or drag it slow. Work tight to cover, not away from it. - Drop Shot Rig — 3 to 4 inches · Green pumpkin stick bait or small finesse worm, natural or watermelon · 1/8 to 3/16 ounce sinker 12 to 18 inches below bait (Midday and afternoon heat, deep structure 18 to 25 feet)
Fish vertically near brush and timber. Shake and pause. Keep bait barely off bottom. - Small Topwater — 2 to 3 inches · Black or natural shad pattern · n/a (Dusk when bass are actively feeding and water is cooling)
Short, slow pops near brush. Don't walk it hard. Keep it subtle and in place.
How to work it
- Slow Drag on Bottom — All periods except peak midday heat. Most effective early morning and evening. · Channel edges, brush lines, and ledge transitions in 12 to 25 feet
Cast near brush or ledge and drag bait slowly toward you, keeping constant contact with bottom. No hard pulls, just steady movement or occasional pause and twitch. - Vertical Shake — Midday and afternoon when bass are tucked tight and won't chase · Deep brush, timber piles, and thick cover 18 to 25 feet
Drop bait on structure and shake it in place with small rod movements. Let gravity work more than retrieves. Pause frequently. - Transition Coverage — Early morning through evening as light and bass position shift · Flat edges transitioning to channel bends, especially those with brush or rock
Work shallow to deep by starting in 6 to 8 feet on the flats and gradually move toward 15 to 20 foot channel edges, adjusting depth as light changes.
Pro tips
- Drop shot is your secret weapon in midday heat. Most anglers abandon Spence from noon to 3 p.m., but a drop shot fished vertically on deep brush will catch a few bass others miss. Slow everything down. Patience beats aggression.
- Work the transition from early morning to dusk with precision. Bass don't migrate evenly. They shift between shallow and deep in pulses tied to light angle and water temperature. Map the exact depth range each two hours and focus your casts there instead of covering the whole water column.
- Night fishing gets overlooked. After sunset when lake cools a few degrees and pressure drops from surface heat, bass feed more openly. Fish stick baits and creatures at night on shallow brush and ledges. Some of the best summer bites happen between 9 and 11 p.m.
If conditions change
If wind picks up and clouds roll in, the shallow bite window extends all day. Fish will stay higher in the water column and active longer. Move up to 8 to 12 feet and cover more ground. If the wind stays down and sun beats through without break, go darker and deeper. If water clarity improves and stain clears, downsize everything by half and use natural shad-colored baits on longer leaders. If a front blows through and pressure drops, expect an aggressive pre-front bite for 12 to 24 hours before the system arrives. Fish reaction baits and cover water faster. After the front passes and pressure rises with clear skies, the bite shuts down hard. Fish tight to the thickest cover with drop shots and tiny stick baits, and expect long stretches between bites.
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