WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026 · LAKE MAUREPAS & RIVERS
Cool water and steady pressure mean the bite is on the points and ledges, but work shallow sloughs early before they push deep.
WATER 67°FAIR 65°FWIND 6 MPHCLARITY STAINED TO MUDDY IN THE LAKE AND LOWER RIVERS AFTER RAIN OR WIND, WITH CLEANER WATER BACK IN SWAMP SLOUGHS AND BAYOUS SUCH AS ALLIGATOR BAYOU OFF BLIND RIVER.SEASON FALL
Water is sitting at 67 degrees in that sweet window where bass are feeding but not fired up yet. Fall turnover has settled, and the pressure is holding steady, so no big shutdown coming. Stained to muddy water in the main lake and rivers after rain makes the bait fish harder to see, so dark colors and vibration matter. Back in the clean sloughs like Alligator Bayou off Blind River, natural colors work better. The lake population is still rebuilding after years of storms, so fish are scattered but catchable if you work the right structure. Expect the bite to start quick at dawn on the shallow transition flats, then tighten up as the sun climbs and the fish slide back to the channel edges and deeper cypress. Night bite can be decent if you soak it out there.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:13 AM to 9:30 AM
Shallow transition flats in 3 to 5 feet adjacent to Blind River channel and tree-lined sloughs, working the edge where sand meets cypress-lined deeper water.
4-inch black or junebug finesse worm on a 1/8 oz shakey head, drag it slow along the bottom with pauses every 3 to 4 feet; or a dark craw pattern like black-blue in the same weight and speed.
Water temperature is cool enough that bass haven't scattered yet, and they're looking to feed before the sun climbs higher. They're still shallow in the darker timber because it takes longer for light to penetrate stained water. A slow drag on the bottom matches the pace of their feeding this time of year.
MORNING · 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Secondary points inside Blind River and creek channels at 6 to 10 feet, work the bend where the channel swings tight to structure.
5/8 oz chartreuse or white spinnerbait with a Colorado blade, retrieve steady and moderately fast, hit the timber and let it deflect; or a dark lipless crank like black or black-blue, rip it up off the bottom in short jerks.
As light spreads and the water warms a touch, bass move from the shallowest cover toward the channel edges. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits trigger reaction strikes because the vibration helps them find the bait in stained water. The bite is still active because the pressure is stable and there's no front bearing down.
MIDDAY · 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Channel ledges and deep cypress clusters in 12 to 18 feet, particularly around Alligator Bayou where the water is cleaner and bass hold tighter to wood.
1/4 oz jig with a 3-inch black or green pumpkin craw trailer, work it vertically or drag it slow on the ledge; pair with 12 lb fluorocarbon to stay off the moss and oyster shell.
By midday, sunlight has penetrated enough that bass pull away from the shallows and reset on deeper structure. Cleaner water in the bayous lets them see better, so you can fish deeper with confidence. A compact jig presentation picks apart the thicker cover and targets the few fish still willing to bite.
LATE AFTERNOON · 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Main lake points in 8 to 14 feet bordering creek channels, look for the hard-bottom transition where sand meets rock or shell.
1/2 oz blade bait in white or chartreuse, drag it slow and steady on the bottom like a craw or shad dying on the ledge; pause every 10 to 15 feet.
The solunar major window hits around 3:02 PM, and the water is starting to cool as afternoon turns to evening. Points are funnels for bass moving between deep and shallow water, and a slow blade bait matches the natural forage settling in stained water. Steady pressure means bass are predictable in their positions.
EVENING · 5:00 PM to 6:17 PM
Shallow cypress-lined backwater sloughs in 2 to 4 feet, especially the canals and dead-ends of Blind River and east-side flats.
4-inch green pumpkin or junebug finesse worm on a 1/8 oz drop shot, set your shot 18 to 24 inches above the hook, shake it gently over moss and submerged vegetation.
As the sun drops, light fades quickly and bass slide shallow again to hunt. The cooler temperatures and lower light extend the shallow feeding window into dusk. A drop shot keeps the bait in the strike zone longer without snagging heavy cover, and finesse keeps it subtle for fish that have seen a lot of traffic.
DUSK · 6:17 PM to 7:30 PM
Edges of shallow flats and timber in 3 to 6 feet, work the transition between open water and thick cypress.
3/8 oz dark crankbait like junebug or black, cast to the timber and dig it down 4 to 6 feet with a steady crank and occasional pause.
The solunar minor window opens at 8:07 PM, and dusk provides a brief aggressive feeding window as the light dies completely. Dark water and darker lures create silhouette contrast, and bass will chase a bait they can see clearly against the fading skyline. This is when the less cautious fish make their biggest moves.
NIGHT · 7:30 PM to 6:00 AM
Shallow cypress and lily pad flats in 2 to 5 feet, and slow current seams in creek channels where baitfish stack.
3-inch dark finesse worm on a 1/16 oz jig head or a small black rubber tadpole fished on a light Texas rig, work it slow and methodically so the lateral line can detect it in total darkness.
Bass hunt by lateral line and vibration in darkness. They'll move shallow into weed cover and flooded timber because baitfish do the same. A night bite here is real but not explosive because the lake population is still thin, but patient anglers soaking shallow structure can pick off one or two biters.
Where to fish
- Blind River channel and secondary points — 6 to 10 feet on points, 8 to 14 feet on main bends · cypress timber, hard-bottom transitions, channel edges and bends
Blind River has rebuilding bass numbers with good condition, and the channel serves as a highway for fall movement. Points concentrate bass migrating between deep and shallow water. - Alligator Bayou off Blind River — 2 to 6 feet shallow, 12 to 18 feet on ledges · cypress clusters, lily pads, submerged coontail and yellow lily beds
Cleaner water than the main lake means natural colors work better and visibility is longer. This is a recovery zone with less pressure than the lake proper, and the shallow cypress attracts fall baitfish. - Main lake transition points — 8 to 14 feet on the break · hard sand and shell bottom, occasional timber, deep water access to 20 plus feet
Points are the funnels where bass set up during fall because they connect shallow feeding flats to deep sanctuaries. Steady pressure means predictable positioning.
What to throw
- Black or junebug finesse worm — 4 in · black or junebug · 1/8 oz shakey head (early morning and late evening when bass are shallow and light is low)
drag slow along the bottom with pauses every 3 to 4 feet, work shallow timber and transition edges - Chartreuse or white spinnerbait — n/a · chartreuse or white blade · 5/8 oz (morning after sun climbs and bass shift to secondary structure)
steady retrieve with deflections off timber and structure, hit wood and let it bounce - Black or green pumpkin craw jig — 3 in trailer · black or green pumpkin · 1/4 oz head (midday on deep channel ledges, especially in cleaner bayou water)
drag slow on ledges or work vertically over deep structure, keep it tight to cover - White or chartreuse blade bait — n/a · white or chartreuse · 1/2 oz (late afternoon on main lake points and channel edges)
drag slow and steady on the bottom like a dying craw, pause every 10 to 15 feet - Dark crankbait — 2 to 2.5 in · junebug or black · n/a (dusk when fading light makes dark silhouettes pop against the sky)
steady crank with occasional pause, dig 4 to 6 feet and work timber edges
How to work it
- Slow dragging — early morning and evening when bass are shallow and light is low, or all day in cool water like today · shallow flats, transition edges, point slopes in 3 to 10 feet
keep the bait on or near the bottom, move it a few inches every 2 to 3 seconds, pause between movements and let it settle - Deflection casting — morning through midday after bass have moved to secondary structure · cypress-lined sloughs, point breaks, channel bends
cast tight to cover like timber or cypress knees, let the bait hit and bounce off the wood, keep it moving through the strike zone - Vertical jigging — midday when bass are stacked tighter on deeper structure · deep channel ledges and bayou holes in 12 to 18 feet
hold the rod at 10 o'clock and drop the jig straight down, snap it up 2 to 3 feet then let it fall on slack line, repeat
Pro tips
- If you find one bass in the early morning on a particular depth or cover type like flooded cypress at 4 feet, immediately repeat that setup at similar points across the lake. Pattern recognition is how you catch multiple fish from a scattered population.
- The pressure is steady today, which means you can trust deep structure even if the morning shallow bite is slow. Don't chase one good fish when you can work a ledge pattern and find three or four. Consistency beats luck.
- Fall water clarity shifts with wind and runoff, so carry both stained-water patterns (chartreuse, white, dark) and natural finesse colors. Switch the moment one pattern stops producing in a given depth zone.
If conditions change
If a front rolls in and the pressure starts dropping before evening, the bite fires up aggressive on reaction baits like spinnerbaits and crankbaits through dusk. Stay on the points and shallower structure because bass will feed harder and move up. If the pressure rises after the front passes, drop everything back deep, downsize to finesse worms on light heads, and fish dense cypress and thick cover slow. If the wind picks up and stirs more mud into the lake, go darker and louder. Black jigs and big blade baits with maximum thump become necessary. If clouds roll in, the shallow bite extends later into midday because less light means bass stay shallower longer, so focus energy on shallow transition zones and cypress sloughs all day.
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