Where do the Fish go during draining water?

[FishOnLMB]

Hey everyone, I am in a bit of a predicament. The lake I fish at has recently released water and the water level is about 10-12 feet low. Where do the bass go during this low water period?

[IndianaFinesse]

During and for a little after being drained, the fish will move to deeper depths than they would normally occupy.  Once the water level has stabilized, the bass will resume normal activity, and move back to more normal depths.  Where they are found may (probably will) be different, fish the lake as if that was it's normal level.  The bass may simply drop back to deeper breaks on the same structure, if available.  

[WRB]

The general rule is bass move out maintaining about the same depth during draw downs and up usually shallower water during raising water levels.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

Rapidly dropping water levels will pull them off the banks and often makes fishing very tough.

[deep]

And sometimes they just like to suspend during a drawdown..

[WRB]

If the water is being drawn down that creates current so bass could be active feeding where the current is compressing baitfish over points and humps. I am not talking about visual current like you see in a river, the current will be slight but enough to position the bass.

Tom

[BassNJake]

Happens to my lake every year and I think that the water pulls them out towards the main channel.(my observations + tourney results)

When the drawdown starts here each week there is less activity(baitfish, birds, tourney guys) in the creeks and the coves.

I have been fishing the first points into the coves from the main channel the last 2 weeks.

1st week I caught a couple

Last week I caught a couple more and they seemed to be a little bigger.

Now we have a heat wave so that could throw a wrench into my plans, but I'll start out on those points this week hoping to intercept some fish as they start heading back into the creeks for the fall.