Best Sources for Freshwater Fishing

Lakes

There are so many different types of lakes that offer good fishing for a variety of different fish.

Clear Water Lakes

The clear water lakes tend to be harder to fish for most anglers, but that is usually because those anglers don’t know how to adapt to the clear water.

Some of the keys to fishing clearer water are using a lighter line and making longer casts.

It’s also super important to fish during low light conditions, such as early morning, in the evening, and even at night.

Murky Water Lakes

To have success on these lakes, some of the keys are to fish with brighter baits, use lures with rattles, and fish shallower.

On some bodies of water, the midday bite is better than in low-light conditions.

Shallow Lakes

Most shallower lakes are known as bass and bluegill lakes, however, you may find perch, crappie, and other panfish.

Deep Lakes

The lakes with some deep water will usually give anglers some trophy potential.

A good deep water lake with plenty of shallow water sections can have a wide variety of fish and lots of big fish potential.

Small Lakes

You may not have as much trophy potential on the smaller lakes, but you can enjoy some awesome fishing on some of the small lakes that don’t get as much pressure.

Large Lakes

The big lakes won’t always be good fisheries, but they do give us more options for more fish and bigger fish.

The best lakes that produce awesome fishing are all bigger bodies of water.

More water, more potential. It is that simple.

Some of the Areas You Will Fish On the Lakes

Bays

Bays are great for fishing in the spring and fall.

Some of the bigger lakes have bays so big that they will fish more like a small lake within a lake, and there can be quality fish in those bays all season long.

Many fish will also spawn in the bays before moving out into deeper water on the main lake.

Spillways, Creeks, Rivers, Inlets

The feeder creeks, rivers, small streams, and basically any runoff water that feeds into a lake can produce some good fishing spots.

These spots can be awesome spots to fish, depending on how much rain you get, what type of current is flowing in, and what kind of depth you have where the water flows in.

Docks

Docks are some of the best pieces of cover to fish on many lakes.

You will usually find largemouth bass, some smallmouth bass, walleye, and a variety of panfish such as bluegill, crappie, perch, rock bass, and more.

Drop-Offs

The drop-offs will almost always be better places to fish. The drop-offs are the closest points where a fish can go from deep water to shallow water.

Flats

It is basically a structureless part of the bottom, however, many anglers do consider the flats as a shallow water area.

The shallow flats are usually good in the spring as water temperatures warm up.

Points

There are other variables that dictate whether or not the fish will be there, but points are definitely worth fishing, and at times, they can provide some of the best fishing on the lake.

Reefs

Reefs are usually pretty big pieces of rock structure that can be found offshore.

Smallmouth bass and walleye can often be found on these reefs, but you will also find other fish such as pike, muskie, and a variety of panfish here, too.

Rocks & Boulders

Almost all freshwater fish can be found around the rocky areas, however, some fish use the rocks a lot more than others.

Smallmouth bass love the rocks more than any other freshwater fish because they love to feed on crayfish, which are usually all around the rocks.

Weeds

Weeds are great for a variety of fish, but some fish like the weeds more.

Largemouth bass and northern pike love the weeds. Bluegill and other sunfish do too.

There are a variety of weeds or vegetation on a variety of lakes, and some lakes have a variety of vegetation within that same lake.

Wood

Wood can offer some very good fishing. When a strong storm hits and trees end up falling into the water, you get some great spots for holding a variety of fish.

You are usually going to find wood along the shorelines of lakes, so look for wood that you can see above the water as well as wood that is under the water.

Reservoirs

These are artificial lakes that are usually formed by constructing a dam across a river.

Reservoirs Are Built By Humans To Address One or More Specific Water Needs

These needs are usually one or more of the following:

1. Municipal and drinking water supplies
2. Agricultural irrigation
3. Industrial and cooling water supplies
4. Power generation
5. flood control
6. sports or commercial fisheries
7. recreation
8. aesthetics and/or navigation.

Current Plays a Role in Reservoirs

The dams can control how much water is passed through the dam based on power needs or to help control the flooding.

How much and how often the water is released can affect the fishing.

The current will help position baitfish, which will then help position game fish as well.

Get Used to Fishing Murky Water

The fisheries can be very good, and if you understand how to fish murky water, you can experience some awesome fishing.

Rivers

Rivers can be large or small, and many of them have very good fishing for a variety of fish.

From deep to shallow, clear water to murky water, this is a lot to learn about rivers so you can catch more fish.

Murky Water Rivers

Most rivers that people think about will be murky in color. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t some good fishing in them, though.

Many of the rivers that are murky colored will have solid populations of catfish, carp, walleye, sauger, white bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and even northern pike.

When you are fishing these rivers, make sure to brighten up your baits and use some baits that make noise.

Crankbaits and jigs with rattles in them will usually outfish ones without the rattles.

The extra noise helps the fish find your baits.

Clear Water Rivers

Some of these rivers will have awesome fishing, however, if you don’t know how to fish in clear water, you can struggle big time.

Fast Flowing Rivers

The faster-flowing rivers will usually limit what fish can be in them.

Many types of fish can’t deal with the constant flow of a faster river.

Salmon, trout, and smallmouth bass are some of the species that do well in the faster-flowing rivers, but the current breaks are where you are going to find most of these fish.

Moderate Flowing Rivers

The moderate-flowing rivers are usually the best rivers to fish.

The decent current makes sure the fish have plenty of oxygen in the river, and with enough current breaks, most fish can handle living in a river.

These types of rivers could hold salmon, trout, both species of bass, a variety of panfish, catfish, and more.

Slow-Moving Rivers

Slow-moving rivers can hold a lot of fish too; however, many of these rivers tend to be the river, murky-colored rivers that are known for catfish and lots of carp.

Some of these rivers offer excellent fishing, and some can be full of rough fish.

Streams

In some of the better fly fishing destinations, the streams will hold good numbers of trout, with some quality fish too.

Many of the streams that do not have trout will usually hold mostly smaller fish.

These can include smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, panfish, catfish, northern pike, and even muskie.

Fly Fishing Destinations

Some of the best fly fishing destinations will have streams with cool water, and on many of them, you aren’t going to find tons of deep water. You will find plenty of oxygen, consistent currents, and cool water.

Streams That Feed Into a Lake or Flow Out of a Lake

These streams can be very productive but may be seasonal or situational.

Small Streams That Flow Into or Out of Rivers

Some streams flow into or out of bigger rivers and depending on the stream.