SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2026 · CHOKE CANYON RESERVOIR
Brutal heat has them locked deep on ledges at dawn and dusk, full survival mode until the sun backs off.
WATER 99°FAIR 97°FWIND 11 MPH SESEASON SUMMERPOOL -28.3 FT
Water is sitting at 99 degrees, which means the bass are in a full heat lockdown. They're positioned tight to the deepest ledges and channel structure they can find, and they're only moving to eat during the cool window of early morning and after sundown. The lake is stained from summer, which actually helps the shallow bite a little, but the heat is the real story here. Pressure is dropping ahead of weather coming in, so there's a small fire in them right now, but don't expect aggressive shallow feeding in daylight. This is a dawn, dusk, and night bite until the water cools. If the wind picks up from the southeast and clouds roll in, the midday dead zone might shorten by an hour or two, but full sun is going to kill the bite hard.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:07 AM to 9:30 AM
Main ledges 18 to 28 feet deep, especially where the ledge breaks to channel or where structure holds shade on the north side of a drop.
Black or dark junebug drop shot with a 2.5-inch finesse worm on 6-pound fluorocarbon, work it tight to the bottom and shake it slow. No speed. Let them come to it. Also work a small black jig, 3/8-ounce, with a 3-inch dark trailer, punch it down and drag it.
Early light brings bass out to feed before full sun heats them back to cover. The water is still cooler at the surface and they'll hunt shallow-ish structure on the ledges. Dark colors cut through the stain and give them a clear target. Slow, bottom-hugging presentations work because they're not chasing, they're positioning to feed and picking up what drifts in.
MORNING · 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Ledges 25 to 35 feet, especially channel ledges where deep water meets structure. Stay on the edge of the drop where they can hold and see the channel without committing to extreme depth.
Blade bait or lipless crankbait in chartreuse or white, 1/2-ounce, work it with a tight wobble on the ledge face, drag and pause. Or work a small swimbait, 2.5 inch, white or ghost, on a 3/8-ounce jig head, slow roll it along the bottom.
Sun is climbing and they're pulling deeper. The pressure drop ahead of weather is giving you a small boost, but heat is winning. Stay where the deep water access is immediate so they don't have to travel far. Vibration and a slow cadence work better than speed as the day heats up.
MIDDAY · 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Deep ledges and channel structure 28 to 40 feet. Look for inside bends of old channel where silt and mud offer some relief from the harsh sun and heat.
Small blade bait, 1/4-ounce in white or chartreuse, fished vertically or with short drags on the bottom. Or a drop shot with a 2-inch shaky head and dark-colored worm. Fish it dead-slow. Minimize movement. Work the shadiest side of the ledge if the structure allows.
This is the dead heat of the day. Bass are as deep and as lazy as they get. Your only goal is to hold them in place and trigger a reaction with something they don't have to chase. Vertical presentations and minimal movement work because bass at this depth and temperature aren't roaming, they're surviving. If you can put the bait right in their face, you get a bite. If not, you're wasting time.
LATE AFTERNOON · 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Mid-depth ledges 20 to 28 feet, especially where the ledge transitions to a shallower zone. Start backing out of the deep stuff as the sun angle changes and temperature anxiety eases a little.
Crankbait working the ledge edge, chartreuse or natural shad color, 2.5 to 3 inches, work it with a steady medium retrieve to cover ground. Or a small spinnerbait, 3/8-ounce, with a Colorado blade in white or chartreuse, slow roll it along the transition zone.
Light is starting to change angle and intensity eases. Bass begin moving from the deepest zones up to the structural breaks where they can hunt. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits cover water and trigger reaction strikes on fish that are becoming more active as temperature stress eases slightly.
EVENING · 5:30 PM to 7:45 PM
Ledges 15 to 25 feet and shallow breaks near the channel. Bass are moving out as sun lowers. Fish the structure that has both shallow and deep access so they can feed shallow and drop back to cool water.
Topwater walking bait or a small walking surface lure in white or chartreuse, walk it slow and steady over the structure. Or work a 4-inch soft swimbait in natural shad on a 1/4-ounce jig head with a steady slow-roll retrieve. Keep movement controlled but visible.
Sun is dropping and water is beginning to cool. Bass are actively feeding and moving shallow to hunt baitfish. Topwater and slow swimbait presentations are visible in lower light and trigger strikes from fish looking to gorge before the dark hours. The pressure drop is helping here, fire them up a bit.
DUSK · 7:45 PM to 9:00 PM
Shallow ledge transitions, 10 to 18 feet, and any hard-bottom structure within casting distance of channel access. Banks with riprap or rocky structure near deeper water.
Small topwater or a 3 to 4-inch soft plastic on a light jig head, white or chartreuse preferred. Work it with pauses and subtle twitches. Or a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait, white or chartreuse, slow rolled. Low-light hours mean black silhouettes work too.
Darkness is coming and bass lose heat anxiety. They feed more aggressively. Low light means they hunt by lateral line and flash, so vibration and movement matter more than exact color match. This is your peak bite window until full dark.
NIGHT · 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM
Shallow structure and banks near the channel, 8 to 16 feet, especially anywhere with hard bottom or riprap. Night bite can push very shallow because darkness and cooler water allow it.
Dark-colored topwater or a 4-inch soft plastic in black or dark junebug, work it slow with pauses. Or a 3/8-ounce spinnerbait with a Colorado blade in black or dark colors, slow roll. Live shiners or small shad worked shallow near structure on a simple rig.
Full darkness and cooler night-time water let bass hunt shallow without heat stress. They feed more freely. Dark lures create silhouette against faint light from above. Slow, deliberate presentations allow them to track and strike. If you have the stamina and access, night fishing produces larger fish because the selective daytime bass get aggressive when it cools.
Where to fish
- Main ledges on the deeper channels — 25 to 40 feet · Hard-bottom ledges where old channel structure rises from the floor, steep faces with silt edges
Deep ledges offer the coolest accessible water and a path to shallow feeding zones. Bass use them as highways and holding stations during heat stress. The pressure drop is pushing them up on these structures slightly, making them more findable. - Inside channel bends and transitions — 18 to 28 feet · Where the old riverbed turns, hard bottom transitions to silt, depth change is gradual
Inside bends create current break feel and collect cooler water due to depth. Shade and structure together make them high-percentage holds during the day. - Shallow riprap banks near channel access — 8 to 18 feet · Rock and hard shoreline structure with immediate deep water 30 to 50 feet away
These areas cool fastest at dusk and night because water can move and circulate. Bass use them to hunt after sun stress eases. The hard bottom holds forage and provides attack points.
What to throw
- Drop shot with finesse worm — 2.5 in · Black or dark junebug · 1/16 oz lead on the drop (Early morning and midday deep ledges when bass are tight to cover and slow)
Rig the worm on the drop shot hook above the sinker by 18 inches, hold bottom contact and shake it gently in place, minimal horizontal movement, let gravity and vibration do the work - Blade bait — n/a · White or chartreuse · 1/4 to 1/2 oz depending on depth (Midday and deep ledges when bass are lethargic and layered tight)
Drag it slowly along the bottom on tight line, sharp taps to the bottom, flutter on the drop if you're jigging vertical. Work the ledge face methodically. - Topwater or walking surface lure — 2.5 to 3 in · White or chartreuse · n/a (Evening and dusk when light is lower and bass are moving to feed)
Walk it side to side with steady rod twitches, keep a semi-slack line, rhythm is everything, slow and controlled not erratic - Small spinnerbait — 3 to 4 in body · White or chartreuse with Colorado blade, or black blade for low light · 3/8 oz (Late afternoon through evening when bass begin active feeding)
Slow roll along structure and ledges, keep blade below surface, steady retrieve with occasional pauses, don't rip it - Soft swimbait on light jig — 2.5 to 4 in · Natural shad or ghost · 1/4 to 3/8 oz (Evening and night when bass are feeding actively but water is still warm and they won't chase far)
Slow roll it along structure with steady rod lift and drop, let it glide on the fall, maintain bottom contact most of the time
How to work it
- Vertical jigging on deep ledges — Midday heat when bass won't roam and sunlight is harshest · Ledges 25 to 40 feet, especially channel bends and transitions where structure is vertical
Drop a small jig or blade bait straight down and work it up and down in place with short hops and shakes, keep the bottom contact constant - Ledge edge transition fishing — Late afternoon and evening as bass begin moving between depth zones · 20 to 28-foot breaks where shallow structure meets drop-off
Position on the edge where a shallow ledge breaks to deeper water, cast parallel to the break and retrieve along the line, covering the transition zone slowly - Slow topwater during low light — Dusk and early night when light is fading and bass hunt topside · 10 to 18-foot structure near channel access, banks with hard bottom
Walk the topwater side to side with minimal cadence, let it sit for 2-3 seconds between twitches, create small ripples not splashes
Pro tips
- Early morning and dusk are your only real windows in this heat. Plan your trip around sunrise and sunset. Fish hard for 2 to 3 hours at each end of the day and skip the midday slog unless you're specifically targeting super-deep vertical presentations on ledges.
- The pool is falling, which means structure is becoming more defined and bass are consolidating. Use a quality sonar or GPS map to dial in exact ledge edges and drops. The falling water makes old structure more defined and easier to locate.
- Pressure is dropping ahead of weather. Use this window. The bite will be slightly better today than it will be after the system moves through and pressure rises. Fish the majors around 3:54 PM if you're on the water, and again after dark if you can.
If conditions change
If a cold front blows through and clears the sky with rising pressure, bass will bury even deeper and the bite will slow to a crawl. Move to the thickest structure available, downsize everything to a 2-inch finesse worm or small 1/16-ounce jig, and fish it slower still. If clouds roll in and wind picks up from the southeast, the shallow bite can extend 1 to 2 hours into midday, and bass will be slightly more willing to leave the deepest zones. Use that window to work the 15 to 20-foot transition ledges more aggressively. If heavy rain or runoff muddies the water, switch to dark-colored baits with more vibration, black spinnerbaits with Colorado blades, and blade baits that create maximum thump.
FISH THIS REPORT ON CHOKE CANYON RESERVOIR
Find more fish. A fresh guide report like this for covered lakes every day · free account