Whats The Water Temp When The Bass Start To Spawn?

[THE BASS WHISPERER]

i live in the south , and i hoping the cold winter is over. what does the water temp have to be around when the bass start to spawn?

 thank you all.

[Sam]

60's.

65 and the should be on their beds.

[Catt]

For those who need a number I would say 60

[WIGuide]

55-58 they should be moving up, and then they'll start spawning in the mid 60's generally. The length of day and moon phase seem to have more of an effect on when they actually spawn though. You want to keep in mind too, that not all bass spawn at exactly the same time. The spawn could last from anywhere from a few days, to a few weeks. 

[A-Jay]

Author ~ Dan Ashe

 

First let’s start with the basics. Nearly everyone has seen largemouth bass in an area that has been swept clean near the shoreline during the spring. These swept areas are bass nests or beds. Spawning takes place when the water temperature reaches 60-75o F. The male constructs the bed and courts a female to spawn, where he then releases his sperm to fertilize the eggs. Fertilized largemouth bass eggs are yellow to orange in color. The male stands guard over the eggs to protect them from predation and continually fans the water to keep water moving over the eggs to keep silt from building up on top of them, while the female leaves once spawning is complete.  Largemouth bass sexual maturity is influenced by size more than age, with most bass reaching sexual maturity with the ability to spawn at around ten inches. The largemouth bass in our lakes usually attain this size at about age two. Largemouth bass beds have been reported to contain anywhere from 5,000 to 45,000 eggs with the differences in number dependent on the size and condition of the spawned female. The time it takes largemouth bass eggs to hatch is highly influenced by water temperature with hatch time at 65o F being about 2 ½ days.

Life for young largemouth bass is hard with very few surviving their first year. One paper I have found cited that only two tenths of one percent of young bass made it past their first year in an Alabama lake. There are several factors that are considered important in determining survival, most notably time of spawning, temperature, predation, and available forage and habitat.

Generally speaking, larger bass spawn earlier than smaller bass. This characteristic is important to young bass survival. Fish that hatch sooner have longer to feed and grow before winter sets in and thus a greater chance of over winter survival. There is some debate as to whether bass populations with a large number of big fish have a distinct advantage to maintain a more constant and stable population in terms of steady recruitment. The down side of having an earlier spawning time is that these fish are more vulnerable to extreme temperature fluctuations than those that are spawned later when the likelihood of a spring freeze is less likely. Therefore, the debate goes on. I guess it all depends on what year you want to look at.

Temperature plays the most significant role in early survival of bass, where it can influence entire year classes of bass. As stated earlier temperature determines how long it takes for eggs to hatch, the longer it takes eggs to hatch the likelihood of predation of those eggs increases. In addition, once bass hatch they are not mobile, they are still on the bottom of the bed feeding off a yolk sac. Again, the longer a fish is immobile the chances of predation increases significantly. Water temperature determines how long it takes for the bass larvae to develop and become mobile. At 70o F bass are able to swim in about 10 days after hatch, at colder temperatures this time is significantly longer.

Once the bass fry become free swimming they must begin to feed within days or they will die. Bass fry initially feed on zooplankton (microscopic animals) and the amount of zooplankton is dependant on phytoplankton (microscopic plants). Lakes that are turbid, acidic, etc., generally are not productive in terms of plankton production, with low fish recruitment due to inadequate forage for young fish. Bass fry are voracious feeders needing to feed several times a day. Food passes through their stomachs every few hours. Over time as the bass grow they will shift to a fish diet. It is imperative that ample forage fish be available for both the larger and younger bass. Bass will always eat one another, but if there are other prey species available the amount of cannibalism will be less.

 

A-Jay

[WRB]

In SoCal the spawn started a few weeks ago in some coastal lakes, the inland lakes any time.

You go online at look at Florida Largemouth Bass Spawn, University of Florida, to determine a unbiased water temp. The warming water temps plus stable warm weather conditions: 62-67 degrees is optimal.

Tom

[Catt]

I seen em spawn in the lower 50s to lower 70s & bank shallow out to 18'.

[WRB]

LMB can spawn whenever they choose, doesn't mean the eggs will hatch or the fry will servive.

The Gaussian curve or bell curve is often used to show percentages, the bottom of the curve represents about 10% and the end of the about 10%, the middle of the curve represents the majority. LMB that spawn in water colder than 60 degrees are in the beginning of the curve, over 70 degrees the end of the curve, the majority are in the mid 60's.

The reason is it takes longer to hatch eggs in cold water, lower survival rate, over 70 degrees the eggs hatch within a few days, however the eggs and fry have a larger population of small and large predator fish around the nest site that reduces the survival rate. Nothing happens in nature by mistake very long.

There will be early birds and later gators, the majority or 80% tend to represent the average behavior.

I caught a LMB in Jan in about 25' when the surface water was in the low 50's, big female was losing her eggs ripe and ready to spawn, she was an anomaly. Lots of variables, all we can do suggest when the majority wil spawn.

Tom

[Catt]

Speculation: The forming of a theory or conjecture without any firm evidence.

Y'all are still giving surface temperatures, what is the temperature at the depth of the eggs?

[WRB]

Catch the bass and put a digital thermometer in it's throat. I did this for about 10 years to determined spawning temps. How many anglers are going to do that today? Everyone has surface temp gauges, few know how to locate warm deep water like a spring using sonar.

Are the bass spawning at TB?

Tom

[hoosierbass07]

Catch the bass and put a digital thermometer in it's throat. I did this for about 10 years to determined spawning temps.

 

 

  Would a laser temperature gun work too? 

[Catt]

Catch the bass and put a digital thermometer in it's throat. I did this for about 10 years to determined spawning temps. How many anglers are going to do that today? Everyone has surface temp gauges, few know how to locate warm deep water like a spring using sonar.

Are the bass spawning at TB?

Tom

Please publish this documented research; the bass fishing world needs to know.

I have not read any research linked to this site that has documented this procedure, most advocate avoiding catching bass off the nest proclaiming it would destroy the spawn.

At 190,000 squire surface acres I'm sure there is a bass or to spawning on Toledo Bend.

[WRB]

Would a laser temperature gun work too?

Should work, a lot easier then using a temp probe.

Tom

[RoLo]

The temperature of water has only to be warm enough to incubate the eggs,

but beyond that there are no specific temperature constraints.  For northern-strain bass,

the generally accepted minimum incubation temperature is 60 deg F. (notice that 60 is a nice round imprecise number)

Here's the deal; water temperatures do not rise and fall uniformly, but seesaw back-and-forth like the S&P 500 Index.
Not to worry, reproductive hormones are triggered by the increasing angle of sunlight (i.e. Photoperiod),

which provides a stable and reliable metric that does in fact move in a straight line.
 

Water temperatures hinge on photoperiod, so they provide a coincident but imprecise criterion.

In Florida for instance, it's possible to find water temperatures in the 80s 'before' major spawning has begun.

Roger
 

[bighed]

males on the bed at 58 or so and females soon after

[Paul Roberts]

The temperature of water has only to be warm enough to incubate the eggs,

but beyond that there are no specific temperature constraints.  For northern-strain bass,

the generally accepted minimum incubation temperature is 60 deg F. (notice that 60 is a nice round imprecise number)

Here's the deal; water temperatures do not rise and fall uniformly, but seesaw back-and-forth like the S&P 500 Index.

Not to worry, reproductive hormones are triggered by the increasing angle of sunlight (i.e. Photoperiod),

which provides a stable and reliable metric that does in fact move in a straight line.

 

Water temperatures hinge on photoperiod, so they provide a coincident but imprecise criterion.

In Florida for instance, it's possible to find water temperatures in the 80s 'before' major spawning has begun.

Roger

 

I beg to differ, Roger. If that were so then all lakes would initiate (good metric) spawning at the same time. But they don't. Water volume plays a big role -and offers a good example- the reason being that large volumes take longer to heat. Small ponds go first, then larger ones, on up to the lakes. Photoperiod is a factor, but it's a broader stroke. Temperature is the final driver. But... most anglers don't fish enough, or probably care, to be there for the initiation. Spawning happens over a period of time in all waters as there's variability in there. Thus, initiation temperature means little to anglers practically speaking. However, hitting waves of spawners is most likely during big temperature increases at the right time.

[Basseditor]

I've seen them on beds starting at about 54 degrees and as high as 80.

I work with many fisheries biologists. This is what they tell me.

The larger the bass, the more hormones they have, which help trigger some spawning urges. Not all eggs hatch successfully at colder temps because they take so long to hatch that they can develop a fungus.

There are many factors though. Photoperiod, moon phases, water temperature, rising water, etc.

Did you hear about the three ShareLunkers in Texas last weekend? It was the first warm day in a while that fell on a full moon. The water is still in the mid 50s in most of our lakes now. It doesn't take much to get those big females moving. March is usually the best month for big bass here, but you can catch a 10 just about any month.

[RoLo]

I beg to differ, Roger. If that were so then all lakes would initiate (good metric) spawning at the same time.

But they don't. Water volume plays a big role -and offers a good example- the reason being that large volumes take longer to heat.

Small ponds go first, then larger ones, on up to the lakes. Photoperiod is a factor, but it's a broader stroke. Temperature is the final driver. But... most anglers don't fish enough, or probably care, to be there for the initiation. Spawning happens over a period of time in all waters as there's variability in there. Thus, initiation temperature means little to anglers practically speaking. However, hitting waves of spawners is most likely during big temperature increases at the right time.

 

"Small ponds go first, then larger ones, on up to the lakes"

 

That is an observation I've never made.

Due to the lower volume of water in small ponds, I would expect them to be more susceptible

to temperature fluctuation and therefore the biggest offenders of hypothetical thermal barriers.

 

Roger

[Paul Roberts]

"Small ponds go first, then larger ones, on up to the lakes"

That is an observation I've never made.

Due to the lower volume of water in small ponds, I would expect them to be more susceptible to temperature fluctuation

and therefore the biggest offenders of hypothetical thermal barriers.

 

Roger

I have been aware of this for a long time -being a small water guy for so long- and I even put some numbers (temps and dates) to it a few years ago when I started looking closely at spawn timing, as you probably remember. And, the literature is pretty clear on this too. Photoperiod can be used to manipulate spawning but appropriate temperatures are needed to kick it off.

 

Yes, temps do fluctuate in small waters, the shallowest quite severely at times. I did see an apparent underlying (photoperiod/endogenous) rhythm at work, evidenced by my shallowest ponds reaching initiation temperatures but no spawning occurring. Good thing too, because that early we could get snow at any time. What did happen was the basic date needed to come around (photoperiod/endogenous), then fine timing was initiated by water temps roughly stabilizing (heat penetrating deep enough to create a volume of relatively stable water temps approaching 60F). Water holds heat well, and once heated, it takes a lot to really knock it down. Fronts may chill things but not completely and reheating is not long in coming with sun angle where it’s at by then. Earlier, the see-saw battle is too dangerous for bass eggs.

 

Again, most anglers aren’t going to see this, or care all that much. It’s, as Catt has put it, “interesting information” but not all that practical. We fish when we can and those first spawners may not represent the majority of spawners, and may be fleeting -being more at risk to cold snaps than later spawners are. There is an advantage to getting an early jump on the growing season. however. Some years it works out. Selective pressure (as the ultimate cause) tends to keep annual spawning times somewhat consistent, but temperature is the critical proximate cause that kicks it off [EDIT}: over 99.999999% of bass waters.

[RoLo]

On many occasions Paul, I’ve seen a 10-degree change in water temperature in just a few days.

It’s not only air temperature that changes water temperature, but also wind currents

that push the warm surface layer across the lake, which is replaced by cooler water below (seiches).

Water temperature is volatile and unreliable, it can only be used as a rough rule-of-thumb,

but cannot be used as a reliable indicator of the bedding cycle. For that matter, water temperature

is not even a reliable predictor of bass disposition. Think of all the times that bass in cold water

responded to a lively delivery. Think of all the times when bass in warm water only responded to a slow delivery.

 

When we lived in Georgia, we fished the big reservoirs like West Point Lake and Lake Lanier,

but also had permission to fish a few private ponds. I can sincerely say that I’ve never noticed

any difference in the spawning calendar period between the small ponds and large lakes.

It was based on latitude (photoperiod) rather than the size of the water. 

 

When we lived on the north shore of “Lake Walk-In-Water” Florida, I seen a bass in our community canal

that was locked on a bed in water in the high 80s. Oddly enough, that fish was bedding during the same period

as the bass in the main lake. Although the timing was the same, the temperature in the main lake was much lower.

In contrast, the bass bedding next to the Walden Shores wharf was in a shallow backwater canal

that behaved no different than a small local pond. The point being, it had no affect on the timing of the spawn.

 

There are several spring-fed lakes in Florida that maintain the same water temperature throughout the year.

If Mother Nature depended on water temperature to trigger the spawn, she'd be in trouble deep!

Biologists know full-well that the reproductive period in both the animal and vegetable kingdoms

relies on photoperiod, a stable and reliable criterion. The incubation of fish eggs, bird eggs

and the reproductive cycle of deer are all codependent on “day length”. They're triggered by

a given day-length range that occurs later on the calendar as you progress northward to a higher latitude.

 

Roger

[Paul Roberts]

On many occasions Paul, I’ve witnessed a 10-degree change in water temperature in just a few days.

 

I have too. I've measured water temps directly in beds tended by males ranging from 48 to 79F. That doesn't say anything at all about the initiation of the spawn in those circumstances.

 

It’s not only air temperature that changes water temperature but also wind currents that move the upper warm layer across the lake, which is replaced by cooler water below (seiches).

 

Bass nests in locations prone to seiches are at risk and one of the reasons successful bass nests tend to collect in "protected" bays and coves.

 

Water temperature is volatile and unreliable...

Thus the reason for variability in nature. However, water temperature is not nearly as volatile as in air -a basic and important property of water for life.

 

When we lived on the shore of “Lake Walk-In-Water” Florida, I seen a bass locked on a bed in water that was in the high 80s. That fish was bedding during the same period as the bass in the main lake. Although the timing was the same, the temperature in the main lake was much lower.

That doesn't tell us much at all about when those fish began spawning. Spawning seasons can run for months. And not all bass spawn at the same time. And the spawning period is a much longer period in the far south. Seeing a bass in a bed at a certain temperature doesn't mean much. You'd have to track temperature profiles from before the spawn on, as I've done.

 

On the other hand, the bass bedding next to the Walden Shores wharf was in a shallow backwater canal, which behaved no different than a small local pond.

Then that was a resident fish of a backwater of a larger lake that lived essentially in a small pond. This, provided your data is good: Water temperature profiles for the period leading up to the day that fish received eggs. I know few anglers (actually none) who have bothered to look so close. Most would rather be fishing.

 

There are several spring-fed lakes in Florida that maintain the same temperature throughout the year.

That temperature is above 60F, yes? They already have "appropriate temperature" right there. In that (rare) case other cues rear up. In the farthest reaches of LM's introduced range, in fully tropical waters where water temps never drop below 75F, the bass are known to spawn on water level rises. Heat is not necessarily the only potential proximal cause, but the lack thereof is what keeps spawning at bay in 99.999999% of bass waters.

 

Water temperature is volatile and unreliable, it can only be used as a rough rule-of-thumb, but cannot be used as a reliable indicator of the bedding cycle.

 

You certainly don't have to, nor should, take my word for it. But, do a literature search and see how well that statement holds up. You know what's even more volatile and unreliable is the "data" taken by anglers -which is generally none whatsoever. The few surface temps people read during their outings aren't going to get at the question of spawn initiation. Water temperature is the final factor, the cue, for the initiation of spawning. It's pretty solid.

 

Enjoying the conversation, Roger. Nice to have someone willing to chat about such cool stuff.

[Ozark_Basser]

On many occasions Paul, I’ve seen a 10-degree change in water temperature in just a few days.

It’s not only air temperature that changes water temperature, but also wind currents

that push the warm surface layer across the lake, which is replaced by cooler water below (seiches).

Water temperature is volatile and unreliable, it can only be used as a rough rule-of-thumb,

but cannot be used as a reliable indicator of the bedding cycle. For that matter, water temperature

is not even a reliable predictor of bass disposition. Think of all the times that bass in cold water

responded to a lively delivery. Think of all the times when bass in warm water only responded to a slow delivery.

When we lived in Georgia, we fished the big reservoirs like West Point Lake and Lake Lanier,

but also had permission to fish a few private ponds. I can sincerely say that I’ve never noticed

any difference in the spawning calendar period between the small ponds and large lakes.

It was based on latitude (photoperiod) rather than the size of the water.

When we lived on the north shore of “Lake Walk-In-Water” Florida, I seen a bass in our community canal

that was locked on a bed in water in the high 80s. Oddly enough, that fish was bedding during the same period

as the bass in the main lake. Although the timing was the same, the temperature in the main lake was much lower.

In contrast, the bass bedding next to the Walden Shores wharf was in a shallow backwater canal

that behaved no different than a small local pond. The point being, it had no affect on the timing of the spawn.

There are several spring-fed lakes in Florida that maintain the same water temperature throughout the year.

If Mother Nature depended on water temperature to trigger the spawn, she'd be in trouble deep!

Biologists know full-well that the reproductive period in both the animal and vegetable kingdoms

relies on photoperiod, a stable and reliable criterion. The incubation of fish eggs, bird eggs

and the reproductive cycle of deer are all codependent on “day length”. They're triggered by

a given day-length range that occurs later on the calendar as you progress northward to a higher latitude.

Roger

You definitely know more about bass spawning behavior than I do, but I am not so convinced that water temperature has less to do with spawning periods than photoperiod, at least not in my waters. I'll use Bull Shoals Lake and The Buffalo National River as a comparison. On Bull Shoals, I'll find fish on beds in late March and April every year. Forty five minutes south on the Buffalo, it is always much later. I've even caught a smallmouth full of eggs in mid June more than once. The Buffalo never gets as cold as Bull Shoals does in the winter, nor as hot as Bull Shoals in the summer due to constant moving water. In other words, it takes longer to heat up and cool down. This leads me to believe temperature has to play a major role in the spawning cycle.

Perhaps it's regional. In Florida and Georgia, where the water temps can stay suitable for spawning, the bass use photoperiod as an indicator more than bass accustomed to colder water temperatures. But what about places in Florida where bass can spawn twice a year? How would photoperiod play into that?

[Catt]

There are a growing number of biologists who have concluded there is strong evidence supporting the whole spawning ritual as a series of events occuring in rapid session and/or simultaneously with no individual event more dominate, just an appearance of dominace.

When we step back and look at the whole spawning ritual, it is then we notice less evidence supporting one single event controlling all of those changes to the enviroment and the bass.

From my on the water experience I tend to agree!

[Mainebass1984]

 It appears through my personal experience that smaller bodies of water have an earlier spawn then larger bodies of water where I am from. It is difficult to compare the spawn in Maine, to Florida, or to California. The spawn different all across the country.  Up here in New England ice out has a huge factor on the spawn. A smaller body of water will loose all of its ice much sooner then a bigger body of water.  With that being said a smaller body of water will have a week or two weeks to warm up while the larger lakes are still frozen. In my area a 300 acre pond always will have an earlier spawn then a 30,000 acre lake.The spawn generally lasts 3 weeks up here. The fish here come in 3 distinct waves, early spawners, spawners and late spawners. In any lake or pond not all the bass are spawning at the same time. I do believe that there are many factors that lead to the actually act of spawning, not just making beds, or guarding eggs, but actually releasing the eggs.

In my own experience for fish up here in New England, temperature is the final factor in this equation. There are also many factors that determine whether or not if the spawn itself will lead to good or bad recruitment.

[RoLo]

You definitely know more about bass spawning behavior than I do, but I am not so convinced that water temperature has less to do with spawning periods than photoperiod, at least not in my waters. I'll use Bull Shoals Lake and The Buffalo National River as a comparison. On Bull Shoals, I'll find fish on beds in late March and April every year. Forty five minutes south on the Buffalo, it is always much later.

I've even caught a smallmouth full of eggs in mid June more than once.

 

That's a common misconception.

The cow bass produces more eggs than she requires. Her roe store is sufficient to visit several beds

swept clean by male bass, and then some. Most cow bass will still have surplus roe after the bedding season is over.

In other words, finding roe in a fish is not a reliable indicator that the fish is actively engaged in spawning.

Another monkey wrench is the fact that not all sexually mature bass spawn every year.

 

Perhaps it's regional. In Florida and Georgia, where the water temps can stay suitable for spawning, the bass use photoperiod as an indicator more than bass accustomed to colder water temperatures. But what about places in Florida where bass can spawn twice a year? How would photoperiod play into that?

 

The answer to that question only reinforces the importance of photoperiod.

If it were left to water temperature alone, fish would spawn twice a year,

but 'photoperiod' consists of two elements that prevent that from happening:

> Day- Length Range      (shortest to longest supportive sunlight duration)

> Day-Length Direction    (lengthening daylight OR shortening daylight)

 

Bass spawn and spring-flowers bloom only during 'lengthening' daylight, but if these events were based

on temperature, bass would spawn in both spring & fall, and spring-blooming flowers would bloom  in spring & fall

 

Roger