SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2026 · CEDAR CREEK LAKE
Early morning topwater and deep ledges, then hunt the shade when the heat cranks up.
WATER 89°FAIR 78°FWIND 6 MPH SSEASON SUMMERPOOL -4.7 FT
Water's hot at 89 degrees, sitting nearly 5 feet low with rising pressure after some recent weather. This time of year largemouth pull tight to structure and shade during the day. Bass feed hard at first light and last light when the sun's off the water, then retreat to deeper ledges and cooler pockets midday. The lack of clouds today means they'll hunt deeper and tighter than usual. Pressure is climbing, which usually shuts down feeding some, but the early and late windows stay productive.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 6:53 AM to 8:15 AM
Shallow flats and riprap banks on the south and east side, 2 to 5 feet, around any hard cover like rocks or stumps.
River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110 in bone color, steady straight retrieve on the surface just fast enough to wake and pop without blowing through the school. Work it methodically over the hardest bottom you can find.
Bass hunt the shallows at first light when the water's cooler and they're hungry from the night. Topwater wakes and pops trigger reaction strikes when they're aggressive. South and east banks warm first and hold baitfish early.
MORNING · 8:15 AM to 10:30 AM
Secondary points and creek channel ledges, 12 to 18 feet, hard bottom with access to deeper water nearby.
Zoom Trick Worm 6.5 inches in green pumpkin on a shaky head, 1/4 ounce. Drag it slowly along the ledge edge with short hops, pausing 2 to 3 seconds between drags.
As the sun climbs and the shallows warm, bass drop to the first breakline. Shaky head crawls mimic struggling baitfish and the slow presentation works when the pressure is climbing and fish are more cautious. Green pumpkin stays visible in slightly stained summer water.
MIDDAY · 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Main lake ledges and humps, 18 to 25 feet, any sharp drop-off from flat to deeper structure.
Strike King Red Eye Shad 1/2 ounce lipless crankbait in chrome, burned with a steady medium retrieve in short bursts with pauses. Work the bait right on the transition where the ledge drops.
Bluebird sun and warm water push bass deep. The lipless crankbait's thumping vibration pulls bass up to strike even when they're not hunting, and chrome reflects light deep where other colors fade. Stay on the deepest accessible edge.
LATE AFTERNOON · 2:00 PM to 4:45 PM
Deeper timber and brush in creek channels, 15 to 22 feet, shaded by adjacent topography or driftwood.
4-inch Sassy Shad soft plastic in pearl or natural shad color on a 3/16 ounce shaky head. Work it tight to any standing timber with short pitches and pause.
Sun's still high and bright, so bass stay down but start testing shallower structure as the afternoon shadows grow. Timber holds shade and crawdads. Smaller baits work better when the pressure is high and fish are less aggressive.
EVENING · 4:45 PM to 7:00 PM
Shallow secondary points and creek flats, 4 to 10 feet, any hard structure like rocks, clay banks, or submerged timber.
Strike King KVD 1.5 Squarebill in sexy shad, medium-depth retrieve with steady crank and occasional pauses, bouncing off structure.
As the sun drops, water temperatures start cooling and bass slide shallower to feed. The squarebill mimics a panicked baitfish and the deflection off rocks triggers strikes. Sexy shad reads well when light is fading.
DUSK · 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Riprap shorelines and shallow timber edges, 1 to 6 feet, right on the bank where the water breaks from flat to deeper channel.
Zoom Trick Worm 6.5 inches in watermelon or green pumpkin wacky-rigged on no weight, worked slowly with subtle twitches on the surface and first foot of water.
Last light is when bass feed most aggressively as predators. Wacky rigs work the surface and upper water column when they're hunting baitfish, and the natural colors work best in low-light conditions. Fish the edges where shallow water meets deeper drops.
NIGHT · 8:30 PM to 6:53 AM next morning
Deeper ledges and channel swings, 18 to 30 feet, where bass rest and roost after dark.
Dead-stick a 3 to 4 inch soft plastic fluke in pearl or white on a 1/2 ounce jighead near the steepest drops. Minimal movement, mostly vertical presentations over the deepest structure.
After dark, bass settle into deep water to conserve energy and stay comfortable. They're not actively feeding like daytime predators, but they will mouth baits if one passes near them. Keep baits in the strike zone and watch the line for subtle ticks.
Where to fish
- Secondary creek channel ledges — 12 to 20 feet · Hard bottom with sharp drop-offs, rocky transitions, clay banks
These are the primary migration highways in summer heat. Bass stage here as they move between shallow morning feeding and deep daytime structure. Ledges offer immediate access to both shallow and deep water. - Main lake humps and mid-lake points — 18 to 28 feet · High-relief structure with rocky or hard-clay bottom, isolated rises from the basin floor
Hot summer water forces bass onto the deepest easily accessible structure. Humps concentrate bass and baitfish, making them efficient search tools when light is high and fish are inactive. - Riprap banks and rocky shorelines — 2 to 8 feet, transitioning to 12 to 18 feet drops · Hard rock cover with clear bottom access to deeper water, often south and east-facing
Riprap holds heat early and late, concentrating crawdads and small baitfish. South-facing banks warm first at dawn and cool last at dusk, creating extended shallow feeding windows. - Creek timber and brush piles — 15 to 25 feet in deeper sections, 8 to 15 feet in shallower creeks · Standing timber, submerged brush, log tangles with shaded overhangs
Timber provides relief from the bright sun and holds crawdads and small shiners. Bass tuck tight to wood during the heat of the day and resume feeding there as evening cools the water.
What to throw
- River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110 — 110 mm · bone · n/a (Early morning and dusk, shallow water, calm to light wind)
Steady retrieve on the surface with consistent popping motion, vary speed to find the sweet spot that wakes without blowing past the school. - Zoom Trick Worm 6.5 inch — 6.5 in · green pumpkin · 1/4 oz (shaky head) (Morning transition and late afternoon, ledges and structure edges, when pressure is rising)
Drag and hop along the bottom and ledge edges with 2 to 3 second pauses between movements. - Strike King Red Eye Shad 1/2 oz — n/a · chrome · 1/2 oz (Midday under bright sun, deep ledges and humps)
Steady medium retrieve with short bursts and pauses, burned along the ledge drop in 18 to 25 feet. - Sassy Shad soft plastic 4 inch — 4 in · pearl or natural shad · 3/16 oz (shaky head) (Late afternoon and evening transition when pressure is still high, deep timber in 15 to 22 feet)
Pitch to timber and brush with short hops, vertical jigging, minimal rod tip movement. - Strike King KVD 1.5 Squarebill — 1.5 in · sexy shad · n/a (Evening and dusk when sun is lower, shallow secondary points and flats 4 to 10 feet)
Steady medium crank with occasional pauses, bounce it off rocks and structure to create deflection.
How to work it
- Topwater popping — First light and last light when bass hunt the surface · Shallow flats, riprap, timber edges in 1 to 6 feet
Steady retrieve with consistent rod pops to create a wake and surface disturbance, vary cadence to match baitfish panic. - Shaky head dragging — Morning and late afternoon transitions, when pressure is climbing or warming slows the bite · Ledge edges, channel transitions, hard-bottom flats in 8 to 20 feet
Cast to the ledge, let it settle to bottom, then drag with short 6-inch hops and 2 to 3 second pauses between movements. Keep the rod tip low and watch for lateral line pressure. - Lipless crank burning — Midday when sun is brightest and bass are deep, or to pull fish up from structure · Deep ledges and humps in 18 to 30 feet
Cast and crank at a steady medium speed with occasional 1 to 2 second pauses, work it tight to the drop-off and along structure edges.
Pro tips
- When pressure is rising after morning, switch off reaction baits fast and move to shaky heads and slow presentations around the densest cover. High pressure makes bass lethargic, so patience and precision beat speed and cover.
- Check the major solunar window at 2:05 PM. If the bite goes quiet at midday, that window can spark a short feeding burst even in the heat. Stack it with shade and deeper structure to maximize the window's effect.
- Watch for shadows. Under a bluebird sky like today, any shadow from a tree, dock, or high bank is a magnet. Bass are photophobic in the heat and will bunch up in the thinnest shade. Fish the shadows first, fast.
If conditions change
If a front rolls in and pressure drops, expect a short aggressive window before it hits. Topwater and reaction baits will fire up for 6 to 12 hours. If it passes and pressure climbs again, revert to deep ledges and shaky heads immediately. If the wind picks up and clouds roll in, extend the shallow bite longer into midday and fish the wind-blown banks hard. If water clarity drops from summer rain and runoff, bump up to white or chartreuse soft plastics and add a wider blade to your spinnerbaits for extra thump. If it clears even more, downsize everything and switch to natural shad patterns and clear-water finesse.
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