TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2026 · LAKE ALAN HENRY
Comfortable water and falling pressure mean reactive baits on the rocks and timber right now.
WATER 69°FAIR 60°FWIND 7 MPH SSESEASON FALLPOOL -10.4 FT
Water's in the upper 60s, right in the sweet spot where bass are active and willing to chase. The pressure is dropping ahead of some weather, which fires them up, so this is a good day to cover water and throw reaction stuff. The lake is steep and clear, with standing timber and rock walls that hold bass tight to structure, and today's forecast starts cool and cloudy but burns clear and sunny as it warms through the day. That means the shallow rocky banks and timber lines will hold fish early, then as the sun gets up and the wind kicks in from the south, bass slide deeper and hold tighter to the vertical edges where the bottom drops off fast. This is a prime fall pattern, and the fish are chasing shad in the open water and on the timber, so fast presentations and natural colors work best.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:52 AM to 9:30 AM
Wind-blown rocky points and secondary channel swings in 8 to 15 feet. Focus the breaks where timber meets open water.
Squarebill crankbait, natural shad color or pearl white, 2.5 inch, 3/8 oz. Cast tight to the rocks and timber line, crank steady with a hunting retrieve, letting the bait deflect off structure.
The pressure's dropping and the water's cool and comfortable, so bass are aggressive and hitting reaction baits hard. Wind is light early, so you can work the vertical structure without spooking fish. The first major solunar period hits right in this window at 9:13 AM, so fishing gets even better as you reach mid-morning.
MORNING · 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Steep timber-lined creek channels and bluff transitions in 12 to 22 feet. Drop your sonar cone and look for suspended returns in the timber.
Minnow-style swimbait, natural shad or pearl, 3 to 4 inch, 1/4 oz, rigged on a light jighead. Slow-fall presentation: pitch to the timber, let it sink with controlled pops, pause on the way down. Long casts to avoid spooking.
As the sun climbs and the wind picks up, bass are still active but begin to relate harder to vertical structure and suspended positions in the timber. The clear water and bright light push them off the banks a bit, and a bait that falls slowly through the water column where they're holding works better than something you have to retrieve fast. The confidence here is that the water's still in the feeding range and the falling pressure keeps them aggressive.
MIDDAY · 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Rock transitions, channel ledges, and timber edges in 18 to 30 feet. Target the steeper drops off the main channel bends.
Drop-shot rig with a 4 inch natural-colored finesse worm, watermelon or green pumpkin, 1/8 oz sinker 18 inches above the hook. Work the bait vertically or with small hops, staying right on the break where the depth changes.
The sun is high and bright, the water is warm enough that bass have sunk to their comfortable depth, and the clear conditions demand a subtle, finesse approach. A drop-shot lets you work a small, natural bait right where the fish are holding without spooking them. Midday is often slow, but on a day like this when the water is comfortable and the pressure is right, fish will bite if you put something small and lifelike right in front of them. The minor solunar period kicks in around 4:04 PM, so the bite tightens midday but picks back up late afternoon.
LATE AFTERNOON · 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Primary points and channel swings in 12 to 20 feet, transitioning shallower as the sun angle lowers.
Lipless crankbait, chartreuse or white, 2.5 to 3 inch, 1/2 oz. Rip and pause, working the bait with sharp vertical jerks and short pauses. Cast across the structure and work it back slowly.
The afternoon minor solunar window fires at 4:04 PM and the water is still comfortable, so bass begin to move shallower and more aggressive as the sun angle drops. A lipless crank's vibration and flash trigger reaction strikes even on fish that aren't hungry, and the rip and pause mimics fleeing shad. The wind is picking up to 6 to 11 mph from the southeast, which oxygenates the banks and pushes baitfish, so reactivity rises.
EVENING · 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Shallow rocky banks, timber edges in 6 to 12 feet, and any structure within a foot or two of the surface.
Spinnerbait, white with a white Colorado blade, 3/8 oz. Steady retrieve with frequent blade bumps off rocks and timber. Work it fast enough to trigger, slow enough to let the blade thump the structure.
The light is dropping and the water is still in the upper 60s, so bass push shallow to feed before dark. A spinnerbait covers water fast and the blade thump attracts fish that are now actively hunting. The wind continues to build, further oxygenating the shallows, and the clear water means fish can see the blade flash from farther away. This is a high-confidence window for a bend in the rod.
DUSK · 6:30 PM to 7:05 PM (sunset)
Timber lines, rocky points, and creek channel mouths in 8 to 18 feet.
Crankbait, natural shad, 2 to 2.5 inch, 1/4 oz, or a jig-and-pig combo with a dark craw trailer. Retrieve steady or work the jig with short hops if you're in tight timber.
The major solunar period at 9:40 PM is coming soon, and even though it's after sunset, the bite often stays hot in the transition from dusk into darkness. Bass move to the channel breaks and timber edges to ambush shad. The water is still comfortable and the falling pressure keeps them feeding, so a natural presentation on a transition piece of structure is your best bet. Low light and dark colors help your bait stand out.
NIGHT · 7:05 PM to 10:00 PM
Creek channels, ledges, and timber lines in 15 to 30 feet. Fish the secondary breaks where bass hold after dark.
Slow-falling jig minnow or hair jig, dark colors like black or junebug, 2.5 to 3 inch, 3/16 oz. Pitch and shake, working vertically with minimal horizontal movement. Let gravity do the work.
After dark, bass retreat from the shallowest banks to the channel breaks and deeper structure, but they're still actively feeding. The major solunar window at 9:40 PM coincides with a prime feeding period, especially with falling pressure. A dark, slow-falling bait worked vertically on the drop-off keeps bass interested without spooking them in the low light. If you have sonar, live imaging lets you spot fish suspended on the timber and place your bait right in front of them.
Where to fish
- Secondary Channel Swings — 12 to 22 feet · Inside bends of flooded creek channels with timber and rock transitions.
Funnel bass movement between shallow and deep water, hold concentrated schools of shad, and provide both current breaks and vertical structure for bass to ambush from. - Steep Bluff Timber Lines — 15 to 35 feet · Standing flooded timber against rock walls and steep drop-offs.
Bass suspend on the timber and along the bluff edge where the depth changes fast. Clear water and vertical structure make this a prime sonar target in fall. - Rocky Points with Shallow-to-Deep Access — 8 to 20 feet (transition) · Rock transitions and wind-blown banks with proximity to main-lake channels.
Bass stage on shallow rocky areas early and move deeper as the sun climbs, and these points connect to deep-water escape routes. Wind-blown orientation oxygenates the water and pushes baitfish. - Creek Channel Ledges and Breaks — 18 to 30 feet · Hard-bottom drop-offs where the channel shoulder meets the main basin, often with timber or rock.
This is prime late-season structure where bass hold before winter, and the clear water and vertical nature of the lake mean fish relate hard to the contour change.
What to throw
- Squarebill Crankbait — 2.5 in · Natural shad or pearl white · 3/8 oz (Early and mid-morning, wind-blown banks)
Steady crank with deflections off rocks and timber, hunting retrieve - Minnow-Style Swimbait — 3 to 4 in · Natural shad or pearl · 1/4 oz (on jighead) (Mid-morning through late afternoon, suspended fish in timber)
Slow fall with controlled pops, pause on the way down, long casts - Drop-Shot Finesse Worm — 4 in · Watermelon or green pumpkin · 1/8 oz (sinker 18 in above hook) (Midday, clear bright conditions, deep structure)
Vertical work or small hops, stay on the break - Lipless Crankbait — 2.5 to 3 in · Chartreuse or white · 1/2 oz (Late afternoon into evening)
Rip and pause, sharp vertical jerks with short pauses - Spinnerbait — n/a · White with white Colorado blade · 3/8 oz (Evening, shallow structure)
Steady retrieve with frequent blade bumps off rocks and timber
How to work it
- Vertical Jigging Timber — Any period when fish are holding in the vertical structure, especially midday and evening. · Creek channels and timber-lined bluff transitions in 15 to 30 feet.
Cast to a piece of standing timber or a ledge return on sonar, let the jig fall on controlled tension, shake and pop on the way down and on bottom. - Deflection Casting — Early morning through mid-afternoon, any time bass are in a reactive mood. · Rocky points, timber lines, and channel ledges.
Cast your crankbait or spinnerbait hard into rocks, timber, and structure edges, letting the bait bounce and ricochet, which triggers reflex strikes. - Slow-Fall Presentation — Midday through dusk, when bass are holding vertically and not chasing fast-moving baits. · Suspended timber, deep ledges, and channel breaks.
Pitch or cast a light jighead or swimbait to the target, let it fall on slack line with minimal retrieve, using the sinking action to show the bait.
Pro tips
- Respect the timber and use long casts. The lake is clear and fish spook easy, so approach from deep water and cast toward shallow structure rather than running straight at the trees. A 10 to 12 foot cast will keep your boat far enough away to avoid spooking suspended fish while still putting your bait in their face.
- The falling pressure right now is the real story. Expect the bite to shut down hard once the front passes and the pressure rises, so make today count. Hunt reaction baits hard in the morning and early afternoon, then dial down to finesse as the sun climbs.
- Sonar is almost non-negotiable on this lake. The narrow footprint and deep timber mean you're often fishing suspended fish that you can't see from the surface. If you have live imaging, use it to spot individual bass on the timber and drop a bait directly to them.
If conditions change
If the wind picks up harder than forecast or a front rolls in and the sky clouds over completely, stay on the reaction bite longer and fish shallower; wind and overcast conditions extend the aggressive window. If the water starts clearing even more than it already is (unlikely in fall), shift to 100% natural colors and fluorocarbon leader. If it stains up from any wind-blown sediment, bump up to chartreuse or brighter contrasts and throw baits with more vibration. If the pressure starts rising before the front hits, the bite can flip upside down fast, so switch immediately to drop-shots and tiny finesse worms on the deepest ledges you can find, and fish dead slow right on bottom.
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