- Best water temperature
- 70°F21°C
- Active range
- 59 to 81°F15 to 27°C
- Feeds most
- Dawn and duskLow light
- Typical size
- 12 in30 cm
- Big ones reach
- 18 in6.8 lb
- Water
- FreshwaterMid-water roamer
White bass feed hardest in water around 70°F (21°C) and stay active from about 59 to 81°F. They feed hardest in low light, around dawn and dusk, with a lull in the middle of a bright day. Start with an inline spinner in silver, a lipless crankbait in chrome/black, a small minnow (1 to 2 in).
The white bass is a hard-pulling, schooling fish of reservoirs and rivers across the central and southern United States, best known for its spring spawning runs and for summer schools that blow up on shad at the surface.
White bass water temperature
White bass feed best at 70°F (21°C), active from about 59 to 81°F (15 to 27°C). That band comes from the same species model BiteCast scores with, and it is why the Fish Score for white bass rises and falls with the water rather than the air.
The spring run starts when tributary water warms into the mid to upper 50s°F, and peaks as it reaches the 60s. White bass feed best around 70°F and stay active well into the low 80s.
For a side-by-side view of every species, see the full water temperature table or the guide to reading water temperature.
When white bass bite
Low light is best. In summer and fall, schools push shad to the surface at dawn and dusk, and the surface "jumps" can last an hour.
Where to find white bass
Open water of large reservoirs and rivers in central North America, roaming in schools.
In spring, tributary rivers and creeks below riffles, dams and shoals. After the spawn they return to the main lake: points, humps and flats where schools of shad gather. Look for birds and surface splashes.
Best baits and lures for white bass
Ranked from BiteCast's bait data, with the colors to throw as the water gets dirtier. Natural baits show how to rig them instead of a color.
| # | Bait | Clear water | Stained | Muddy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inline SpinnerMetal and blades | Silver, Silver Blade/Black Body, Gold Blade/Brown Body | Gold Blade/Orange Body, Silver Blade/Red Tail, Rainbow Trout | Fluorescent Chartreuse, Hot Pink, Firetiger |
| 2 | Lipless CrankbaitHard bait | Chrome/Black, Silver Shad, Bluegill | Red Craw, Gold/Orange | Firetiger, Chartreuse, Solid White |
| 3 | Live MinnowNatural bait | Rig: Small minnow (1 to 2 in) | ||
| 4 | Metal Casting JigMetal and blades | Chrome Silver, Blue/Silver, Pink/Silver | Chartreuse/Silver, Green/Gold, Pink/White | UV Silver, Solid Pearl White, High-Vis Chartreuse |
Small inline spinners, lipless crankbaits, metal jigs and small swimbaits that match the shad. When a school is up, cast past it and retrieve through it quickly.
What white bass eat
In the wild white bass eat shad and small open-water fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, fish fry. Matching the size and color of that forage is the single most reliable way to pick a bait.
About the white bass
The white bass is a silver, schooling temperate bass with narrow dark horizontal stripes and a deep, slab-sided body.
It roams open water in large reservoirs and rivers, herding shad to the surface in feeding frenzies that anglers chase by the boatload.
Each spring it runs up tributary rivers in huge numbers to spawn, creating one of the most reliable fast-fishing events of the year.
Aggressive and willing, it hits small spoons, spinners and jerkbaits hard and fights well for its size.
Found in: United States, Canada, Mauritania, Mexico.
Common questions
What water temperature do white bass bite best in?
White bass feed hardest around 70°F (21°C) and stay active from about 59 to 81°F (15 to 27°C). Below the band they slow down and feed less often; above it, warm water holds less oxygen and they go deeper or feed at night.
What time of day do white bass bite?
White bass feed hardest in low light, around dawn and dusk, with a lull in the middle of a bright day. Cloud cover, stained water and wind chop stretch the low-light window through more of the day.
What is the best bait for white bass?
In BiteCast's bait rankings the top picks for white bass are inline spinner, lipless crankbait, live minnow. In clear water go natural (silver, silver blade/black body); in muddy water go dark or bright (fluorescent chartreuse, hot pink).
