Dams & Spillways


Dams and spillways can be very productive areas for catching largemouth bass.  The larger dams with faster moving current are typically better places to fish for smallmouth bass and striped bass, but the smaller dams that have some slack water or current breaks along the sides of the dam will hold some largemouth bass.


Spillways are Better


Spillways tend to be better than dams for largemouth bass.  Whether you are fishing a lake, pond or river, a spillway can provide some excellent largemouth bass fishing after a rain.  On some waters, a very heavy rain will muddy the lake up so much that fishing becomes extremely difficult unless you have access to a spillway.  Most spillway areas will have very murky water, but it doesn’t seem to matter too much to the bass.  The spillways are like a buffet for fish.  Insets and worms get pushed into these spillways, which brings in all kinds of fish.  Largemouth bass come into the area to find an easy meal and they can be extremely easy to catch at times.


Go Right After the Rain

Some of the best spillways are found in ponds or smaller lakes where it goes from a very minimal current or no current to a tiny waterfall.  With this sudden surge of current, you can expect to find plenty of largemouth bass that will have moved into the area.


Stand Out

Go brighter or try using noisy lures or some lures with some flash to them.  Bass will hit the darker colors with no noise or no flash, but being able to stand out in the murky water will usually help you get more bites.


Fish the Current Breaks

Depending on the size of the spillway and how much current you will have will dictate whether or not the current breaks are the best spots or not.  In minimal current, largemouth bass will be found right in the current many times.  However, if there is some decent current, try fishing the current breaks.  That’s where a lot of largemouth bass will be resting as they watch for food to get pushed down towards them.


[wpinsertshortcodead id="cpgud5f8d881788989"]