FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026 · CEDAR CREEK LAKE
Heat's locked them deep on the ledges. Work the drop-offs hard early, then follow the shade all day.
WATER 89°FAIR 78°FWIND 6 MPH SSEASON SUMMERPOOL -5.4 FT
Water's running hot at 89 degrees, which means the largemouth are posted up on main-lake ledges and off the humps, tucked tight to anything that gives them cooler, easier water and relief from the sun. This time of year they feed in short, intense bursts at dawn and dusk, then hide deep the rest of the day. The lake's down 5.4 feet but holding steady, so you know exactly where those break lines are. Overcast skies today are your friend. They'll stretch the shallow bite a little longer if you work it fast, but your bread and butter is going to be deep structure work through the heat. The pressure's rising, which usually means fish get a touch finicky, but you've got cloud cover working for you, so use it while it lasts.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:05 AM to 8:30 AM
Main-lake ledges in 18 to 28 feet, edges where the flat transitions down to deeper water. Work the first 4 feet of the drop.
4-inch green pumpkin wacky-rigged worm on a shaky head, 3/8 ounce. Fish it tight to the structure, pick through cover methodically with short hops and long pauses. Let it sit.
In heavy heat, the bite at first light is a small window but it's aggressive. Bass are looking up from deep water into the shallower part of the ledge to feed before the sun climbs high. The worm on a shaky head matches the small, easy prey they're keying on in warmer water. Overcast keeps them willing to hunt longer than a bluebird day would.
MORNING · 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Same ledges, but shift deeper. Work 22 to 32 feet. Target any hard-bottom structure, sharper breaks, secondary points with deep-water access.
1/2-ounce white or chartreuse 3-inch soft plastic fluke on a jighead. Drag it slow along the bottom with controlled pulls, let it settle between drags. Dead-stick it for 10-15 seconds per spot.
Sun's climbing, water's warming the shallow band, so fish are sliding deeper into their comfort zone. This window is all about finding the stack on the ledge and working it vertically or with subtle bottom contact. Cloud cover helps, but they're already committed to depth. The white fluke mirrors the baitfish profile they're eating, and the slow drag keeps it in the strike zone in cooler, deeper water where they're less aggressive.
MIDDAY · 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Deepest available ledges and the edges of mid-lake humps, 24 to 35 feet. Focus on the steepest drop-offs and any secondary structure on the hump shoulders.
1/2-ounce black or black/blue finesse jig with a 3-inch dark soft plastic craw trailer. Vertical jigging with small lifts and controlled descents. Work it slow.
This is the grind. Fish are locked deep in the comfort zone, seeking the coolest water available. They're not aggressive, but they're there. Vertical jigging puts the bait right on top of them without wasting time covering water. Dark colors stand out in the deeper water and match crawfish, which are a natural deep-water forage bass eat year-round. Small lifts trigger reaction bites without requiring full commitment from lethargic fish.
LATE AFTERNOON · 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Transition zones: shallow ledges 16 to 22 feet where the flat banks meet the main-lake drop. Any point with gradual structure leading to deep water.
4-inch green pumpkin wacky-rigged worm on a 1/4-ounce shaky head. Fan-cast the transition zone, work it with small hops and pauses. Keep contact with bottom.
Water cools slightly in the afternoon, and pressure is rising, but fish begin staging up from the absolute deepest zones in preparation for the evening bite. They position on the secondary structure and near-ledge flats where they can access deep water fast. The lighter jighead and finesse worm suit a subtle bite from cautious fish that are not yet fully fired up but starting to feed again.
EVENING · 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Shallow ledge edges and the first 6 feet of hard-bottom flats near deep-water access. Primary points with the shallowest hard bottom available.
1/2-ounce lipless crankbait in red or red-and-white, size 2.5. Cast and burn it with steady medium retrieve, work it right on the bottom and let it tick the hard substrate. Pause occasionally.
Sun's dropping, bass are willing to move shallow and hunt actively again. A lipless crankbait covers ground and triggers reaction strikes from fish that don't have time to think as light fades. The vibration and flash pull bass from deeper zones up to feed before nightfall. Red and white show up well in the lower light and match spawned-out shad or dying baitfish, both natural prey when cooling happens.
DUSK · 7:00 PM to 7:45 PM
Shallow hard-bottom flats, riprap banks, or any structure in 3 to 8 feet connected to deeper water. Light structure near creek channels.
5-inch green pumpkin soft plastic worm rigged wacky, 1/4-ounce shaky head, or a 2.5-inch topwater chugger in white or chartreuse. Work worms slowly with pauses; work topwater with short splashes and intermittent pauses.
This is the second feeding window. Bass stage shallow to hunt baitfish before darkness sets in completely. Green pumpkin is reliable in any light. Topwater excites reaction strikes in low light and creates disturbance that pulls bass from nearby deeper structure. Cloud cover tonight will keep some feeding into full dark, so maximize this window.
NIGHT · 7:45 PM to 6:00 AM next day
Same shallow structure as dusk: riprap, light timber, ledge edges in 2 to 8 feet. Dock pilings and rock if accessible safely.
5-inch black soft plastic worm rigged wacky or Texas-rigged, 1/8 to 1/4 ounce. Fish it by feel and sound, working slowly along structure. Alternative: 2.5-inch black topwater popper, steady clicks and pauses.
At night, bass hunt visually less and rely on lateral line and vibration. Black silhouettes against faint overhead light from moon and stars. Slow worms and poppers give fish time to track and strike. Full overcast eliminates moon benefit, so vibration-based presentations work well. Work shallow cover and edges where baitfish hide and bass hunt. Most fish are inactive midway through the night cycle, but dawn transition starting around 5:30 AM begins warming up toward the next early-morning bite.
Where to fish
- Main-Lake Ledges and Drop-Offs — 18 to 35 feet, primary work zone 22 to 28 feet · Hard-bottom ledges with sharp transitions from shallow flats to deep channels. Secondary points where the shallow structure meets the main-lake drop.
This is where largemouth retreat in summer heat to find cooler, more comfortable water with access to baitfish. Ledges are highway systems in hot water, and the edges are where fish set up to intercept forage moving between shallow and deep zones. - Mid-Lake Humps — 20 to 32 feet, edges in 18 to 25 feet · Secondary humps with hard bottom. Target the shoulders where structure begins to slope, not the peak.
Humps concentrate baitfish and hold stacked bass in summer. The breaks and edges funnel movement. Deeper humps are summer sanctuaries where bass can stay cool all day but still position to hunt. - Shallow Ledge Edges and Transitions — 8 to 18 feet, focus on the first 4 feet of slope · Hard-bottom transitions where flats meet the ledge. Any point connecting shallow water to deep structure.
This is the staging zone in heat. Bass use it as a stepping stone between deep daytime structure and shallow feeding zones at dawn and dusk. The transition is where reaction baits work best because fish are moving through, not locked down.
What to throw
- Green Pumpkin Wacky-Rigged Worm — 4 in · green pumpkin · 1/4 oz shaky head (Early morning, late afternoon, dusk, night. Any time fish are holding structure in heat and not chasing aggressively.)
Pick through structure with short hops and pauses, let it sit on bottom between casts. Work transitions and ledge edges. - White or Chartreuse Soft Plastic Fluke — 3 in · white or chartreuse · 1/2 oz jighead (Morning and midday, 22 to 35 feet on ledges. When fish are locked deep and not aggressive.)
Drag along the bottom with controlled pulls, let it settle 10-15 seconds between drags. Vertical jigging on steep structure. Keep contact with bottom. - Black or Black/Blue Finesse Jig with Craw Trailer — 3 in trailer · black or black/blue jig with dark craw · 1/2 oz jig (Midday, 24 to 35 feet on deepest available structure. When fish are least aggressive and locked deep.)
Vertical jigging over deep ledges and humps. Small controlled lifts off bottom, let it settle. Work it slow, short strokes. - Lipless Crankbait — 2.5 in · red or red-and-white · 1/2 oz (Evening, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. When light is dropping and bass are willing to chase.)
Cast and burn with steady medium retrieve, tick the bottom occasionally. Pause every third cast for 3-5 seconds. - Topwater Popper or Chugger — 2.5 in · white, chartreuse, or black · n/a (Dusk and night, 3 to 8 feet. When bass are shallow and willing to hunt before or after sunset.)
Short splashes with a popper or chugger, intermittent pauses. Work it around shallow structure and light cover. Keep rhythm steady and let pauses create silence that triggers strikes.
How to work it
- Shaky Head Presentation — Early morning, late afternoon, dusk, anytime fish are holding structure but not aggressively feeding. Best when pressure is rising or after a front. · Transition zones, ledge edges, shallow hard-bottom flats, any structure in 6 to 22 feet.
Rig 4-inch worm wacky-style on a 1/4 to 3/8-ounce shaky head. Fish vertically or with short controlled hops and pauses. Let it sit for 10-15 seconds between picks. - Bottom Dragging with Soft Plastics — Morning through midday when fish are deep and locked on structure. Use when bass are not aggressive but present. · Main-lake ledges, secondary points, hump shoulders. Work depths 20 to 35 feet.
Drag a 3-inch fluke or worm on a 1/2-ounce jighead along the bottom with controlled pulls and pauses. Keep contact, feel for ticks. Settle 10-15 seconds between drags. - Vertical Jigging — Midday heat when fish are locked deepest. Use when you know fish location and need to trigger inactive fish on deep structure. · Steepest ledge drops, mid-lake humps, any structure 24 to 40 feet deep.
Drop a 1/2-ounce jig with small soft plastic trailer straight down over deep structure. Work with small lifts off the bottom, controlled descents. Vary lift height and speed to trigger strikes. - Reaction Presentations at Dusk — Evening and dusk, 5:30 PM to 7:45 PM. When light is dropping and bass are moving shallow to feed before dark. · Shallow flats, riprap banks, light timber in 2 to 8 feet near deep-water access.
Use lipless cranks or topwater with steady medium retrieves and occasional pauses. Cast to cover and work it fast enough to trigger strikes without requiring full commitment from the fish.
Pro tips
- Work the first 4 feet down from a ledge edge, not the peak or the deepest zone. That transition is where stacked fish position to feed and where a slow presentation gets the most strikes.
- If you find one feeding fish on a specific depth or spot, note it and hunt similar setups across the lake. One ledge at 24 feet holding fish probably means other ledges at 24 feet will too. Largemouth are predictable pattern fish.
- Overcast days in heat extend the window when bass will hunt shallow. Use early morning and dusk more aggressively, and don't write off midday completely; some fish will feed under clouds even in 89-degree water.
If conditions change
If the sun burns through the cloud cover and skies clear, drop another 4 to 6 feet deeper and slow everything down. Fish will bury faster and strikes become subtle, so downsize your jigs and worms. If the pressure drops suddenly (before a front), pick up the pace and work reaction baits early and late; that's when fish feed hardest. If the wind picks up and clouds thicken more, the shallow bite extends, so spend more time on the transition zones and early-morning shallow structure. If water clarity drops from heavy rain or run-off, shift to dark colors (black, junebug) and rely more on vibration (shaky heads, lipless cranks) to help fish track the bait. If clarity improves dramatically, downsize everything and go to natural colors (green pumpkin, watermelon) on finesse presentations.
FISH THIS REPORT ON CEDAR CREEK LAKE
Find more fish. A fresh guide report like this for covered lakes every day · free account