Fish Bite on Cloudy Days
Fishing can be extremely good on cloudy days and in overcast conditions when anglers utilize the right strategies and fishing techniques.
During cloudy conditions there is less light penetrating the water and fish will become comfortable, more active, and easier to catch.
Fishing On Cloudy Days
Oftentimes the weather, temperature, and conditions will dictate how good the fishing is going to be and what baits and lures are going to work best.
Here is why fishing on cloudy days is better than most days:
Fishing Advantages in Overcast Conditions
Less light penetrates the water resulting in less visibility
Easier to trick or fool fish into biting
Fish are more active and searching for food
Most fish species will roam around and leave cover and deep water
Larger strike zone
Fish are more aggressive and willing to bite
More active insects & hatches
Reaction style baits work very well
The combination of these things is why many anglers say that overcast and cloudy conditions are prime-time fishing conditions.
15 Simple Tips to Help You Catch More Fish on Cloudy Days
1. Mix Up Your Retrieval Speed & Cadence
One of the easiest ways to catch more fish on cloudy days is by getting your target species to react and respond to your presentation.
Fish are opportunistic predators and can’t help but take advantage of an easy meal.
The best way to do this is by mixing up how fast you reel in your lure and by adding some jerks and pauses.
These small changes to your lure will get more fish to respond and you’ll be surprised by how many more fish you will end up catching.
2. Target Different Depths
Fishing at the right depth is key if you want to be able to catch fish. If you are not fishing where the fish are, you’ll have a hard time having success.
Each species of fish will prefer to be at a different depth and a lot of it will depend on the water temperature and time of the year.
Weather is also a big factor in fish behavior and can influence where they will be located.
On cloudy days and in overcast conditions fish tend to roam around more and will leave deep water and cover to take advantage of good hunting conditions.
3. Use Bright & Dark Colors
Using the right color of baits and lures is key when fishing when it’s overcast.
On cloudy days’ the sunlight is unable to penetrate the water due to the cloud cover.
As a result, there is less visibility in the water making it harder for them to distinguish what’s real and not real.
They also have a harder time seeing your lures and bait. This combination can give anglers a huge advantage if they fish with the right color of lures.
The best colors to use in overcast conditions are bright colors like chartreuse and white as well as dark colors like dark greens, blacks, and browns.
These colors will help your baits and lures stand out and catch the attention of any nearby fish.
4. Add Scent
A simple but effective trick you can use to catch more fish on cloudy days is adding some scent to your lures and baits.
Adding scents and fish attractants like garlic will not only help you get more bites, but the fish will hold onto your lure longer.
5. Make Long Casts
When you are targeting fish on cloudy days casting distance can be an important factor, especially when fishing for bigger fish.
Longer casts allow you to stay farther away from your target, give your baits a chance to run deeper, and it will decrease your chances of spooking fish off.
6. Match the Hatch
Matching the hatch is a theory used by anglers that means using baits and lures that closely match or mimic the fish forage including the size and color.
Are your targeted species feeding on insects, small baitfish, or crayfish?
7. Target High Percentage Areas
If you are struggling to find and catch fish on cloudy days and in overcast conditions, try targeting high percentage areas.
In general, fish can be found where there is food, cover, and a variety of water depths. If you can find these types of areas, you’ll catch a lot more fish.
High Percentage Fishing Spots
Points
Secondary Points
Docks
Inlets/Creek Channels
Hard Cover
Humps
Windy Banks
Grass Lines & Flats
Rock Piles
Trees
Wood
Bridges
Riprap
Other Types of Structure and Cover
8. Change Up Your Baits & Lures
At times fish can be picky and a different lure, color, size, or technique might just be the thing to help you catch your fish.
As fishing conditions change and the day becomes cloudy what worked when it was sunny may not work in overcast conditions. That’s why it’s so important to switch it up and try something new.
If you have been fishing with the same bait or lure for over 30 minutes and still haven’t gotten a bit, it’s time to switch it up and try something new.
9. Use Live Bait
There is no denying that live bait will help you catch more fish.
10. Go Topwater
Topwater lures and dry flies are known for being a great way to catch fish early in the morning and late in the evening.
They can also be a super-effective way to catch fish when it’s overcast or cloudy.
When the clouds roll in this generates low-light fishing conditions much like at dawn and dusk. These conditions are considered to be one of the best times to throw topwater lures and dry flies.
11. Use Gold or Silver Lures
If you are planning on using some type of lure whether it be a spinnerbait, spoon, or spinner the best color of the blade to use is gold in cloudy conditions.
The gold will help you stand out more in cloudy water and make it much more visible to the fish when compared to silver.
On the other hand, silver is a great color to use on bright and sunny days as the silver reflects off the light in the water creating light flashes.
12. Wind Is Key
On most cloudy days there will be some type of wind. The wind can turn the bite on, and fish will become much more willing to bite in these conditions.
The reason for this is the wind will stir things up making the water less clear and creating opportunities for predators.
Target banks where the wind is blowing into the bank. Oftentimes small baitfish and other fish forage will get pinned up against the bank and big fish will be nearby taking advantage.
13. Downsize If You’re Not Catching Fish
Using smaller baits, flies, and lures will allow you to attract a wider range of fish.
This is especially important when the fish are keying in on small baitfish or forage like in the early spring and fall.
14. Success Is in The Details
Things like making sure your lure is swimming right, or that your bait is properly rigged can make all the difference in the world.
One of the best times to go fishing is in cloudy conditions.
Pay close attention to the small details from color, lure size, and how you work the bait.
All of these things can make a huge difference out on the water.
15. Be Adaptable
Being able to adapt on the fly is something that all anglers must learn. Fishing conditions can change from day to day and from hour to hour.
When it’s overcast, fish are constantly on the move, and their behavior changes based on season, weather conditions, water temperature, and light penetration among other things.
Sunny vs. Overcast Conditions
A common question many anglers have is if it’s better to fish on cloudy or sunny days.
In general, fishing is typically better when it’s overcast when compared to sunny conditions.
The reason for this is because the cloud covers the sun which reduces the amount of light that penetrates the water.
Lower light penetration makes things easier on fish and they are typically more willing to roam around hunting for food.
When it’s bright and sunny fish will head for deep water and thick cover where they can beat the heat and hide from other predators.
What are the best lures for cloudy days?
The best lures to use when you are faced with overcast conditions are reaction-style lures like crankbaits, swimbaits, spoons, and spinners.
These lures will allow you to cover water, find fish, and get that reaction strike that can be good when it’s cloudy.
What color lures to use on cloudy days?
The best colors of baits and lures to use when it’s cloudy are going to be bright bold colors like white and chartreuse and dark colors like black, dark green, and brown.
These two color choices will help you bait contrast the low light conditions and stand out. Making them easier for the fish to see and track down.
