While others are watching football, you’ll be out on the water catching football-sized smallies! Fall is one of the best times of the year to catch both numbers and big smallmouth bass.

As the weather cools and the leaves start to change, smallmouth bass shift their behavior, making it prime time to target them. If you know where to look and how to adjust your tactics, fall can offer some of the most productive fishing of the year. 

In this post, we’ll break down key tips to help you make the most of fall smallmouth fly fishing.

With these tips and our Beginner’s Guide to Fall Smallmouth Bass Fishing, you’ll be hooked up to smallies while others are on the couch!

Fall Smallmouth Fishing is All About Location, Location, Location

When it comes to catching fall smallmouth, location is everything. As the season changes, smallmouth move from shallow summer feeding spots to deeper water. The key areas to target are transition zones—places where shallow water meets deep pools, or where fast current flows into slower sections of the river. These spots give smallmouth access to the deeper, more stable water they prefer in cooler months, while still being close to shallower feeding areas.

Fishing Points for Smallmouth in the Fall

A point is where a piece of land extends into the water, creating a natural structure that attracts both baitfish and predators. In the fall, smallmouth bass love to hang around points because they provide easy access to both shallow and deeper water.

As temperatures cool, smallmouth may move up into the shallow areas to feed, especially during the warmer parts of the day, and retreat to deeper water along the point when conditions cool. The ability to easily transition between depths makes points a prime spot for fall smallmouth.

Fishing Drop-offs for Smallmouth in the Fall

Drop-offs are areas where the bottom of the lake or river suddenly changes depth, like where a shallow flat abruptly slopes down into deeper water. In fall, smallmouth bass gravitate toward these drop-offs because they act as natural ambush points. 

Baitfish tend to gather around these changes in depth, and smallmouth will sit at the edge of the deeper water, waiting to strike. Targeting the edge of a drop-off, particularly where it intersects with shallow flats, can be highly productive. Using weighted flies or sink-tip lines will help you reach these depths where the smallmouth are holding.

If you’re wading, be very careful of fishing drop-offs. In larger rivers, these can be sudden, deep, fast, and dangerous for anglers on foot. Be conscious of the steps you take, especially if the water is murky and you can’t see the bottom. 

Fishing Ledges for Smallmouth in the Fall

Ledges are similar to drop-offs but often run along the bottom as extended horizontal shelves that drop down to a deeper level. In rivers or lakes, ledges are great places for fall smallmouth to hang out because they provide a “staging area” where the bass can shelter in the deeper part while having easy access to the shallows for feeding. Smallmouth will often cruise along ledges, ambushing prey as they pass through. 

In fall, this becomes especially effective as baitfish move into shallower waters, and smallmouth bass use these ledges as a base from which to launch their feeding attacks.

Smallmouth School Up in the Fall

Children aren’t the only ones going back to school in the fall—smallmouth bass are too! Known as the fall consolidation, smallmouth tend to gather in groups as the temperature drops. This makes it easier to target multiple fish once you locate a school.

If you find yourself hooking a smallmouth, stick around! Chances are good there’s a whole group of them lurking in the same area. This schooling behavior is all about prepping for winter, and that makes fall a perfect time to catch multiple fish in one outing.

Why do Smallmouth School Up?

Smallies school up when the water gets colder for a variety of reasons. Essentially, things revolve around energy levels, and when the water gets cold, working as a group becomes more effective.

First, hunting in groups is a very efficient tactic to feed when the cold water makes each individual fish a little bit more lethargic. As a group, they can hunt for and corral baitfish more effectively whereas during the spring and summer when water temperatures are warmer, smallies have enough energy to hunt on their own. 

Secondly, schooling offers safety in numbers. When grouped up, smallies are protected by each other from predators that can’t hone in on a singular fish. When the water is cold and energy is at a premium, schooling up is a more common survival strategy than going out on their own.

Lastly, schooling up generally conserves energy for smallies. They won’t need to move as much to feed or escape predators. Being cold-blooded, smallies don’t necessarily get “warmer” by being around each other, though the other benefits mentioned here make schooling up an effective fall patterning. 

Changing Conditions Trigger Smallie- and Baitfish- Activity

As fall progresses, most creatures in the water, including smallmouth bass, sense that winter is coming. Cooler water temps trigger feeding activity as fish try to bulk up before the cold sets in. Smallies will be on the hunt for baitfish, often herding them into shallower waters to make feeding easier.

Look for areas where baitfish are concentrated near the surface or in shallow water. Smallmouth will often be close by, pushing the baitfish into tighter schools and picking them off. Pay attention to the behavior of the smaller fish, as it often indicates the presence of feeding bass.

Some species of baitfish- like shad- begin to migrate to the shallows in the fall, which can concentrate them in a buffet-style alignment. Additionally, our flying predator friends (birds) become less active and prevalent as the temps drop, making the shallows safer for baitfish. Smallies will key in on this (often in groups) and take advantage of the concentrated opportunity to chow down.

The Colder the Water, the Slower the Presentation

As water temperatures drop into winter-like conditions, smallmouth become more sluggish, and their energy levels decrease. This means your usual fast-paced retrieves become less effective. The rule of thumb for fall smallmouth is simple: the colder the water, the slower your presentation should be.

Fish Until You Get Skunked 3 Times in a Row

This tip is a personal one to me. No scientific studies or data to back it up, but it’s worked for me over the last several seasons.

When it comes to fall smallmouth fishing, persistence is key. As the temps drop to frigid, winter-like temps (usually around 40 degrees), the fish can be more difficult to find and get to eat. Fishing becomes tough and it might be time to give the fish a rest for the season.

One rule of thumb is to fish until you get skunked 3 times in a row. Why? You can certainly catch fish when it’s very cold outside and we all know that you can’t catch fish from the couch, but there does come a time where your efforts should be focused elsewhere. When winter has actually arrived and I go 0-for-3, I generally start turning towards the vise and tying up flies for the next season. 

Don’t pack it in after one slow day—keep hitting different spots, and once you find them, you’ll often land multiple fish in a session. Back-to-back skunks? Give it one more shot with a new technique or method and see if it pays off. After a trio of skunkage? It’s probably time to pack it up and cozy up for the winter.

Conclusion

Fall smallmouth fishing is all about patience, persistence, and paying attention to the changing conditions. Whether you’re targeting points, drop-offs, or ledges, the opportunities to hook into some of the best smallmouth of the year are all there. 

And hey, if the fish aren’t biting after three skunked trips in a row, it might be time to trade your fly rod for a cup of hot cocoa and start tying flies for next season. But until then, get out there and enjoy the crisp air, the fall colors, and those football-sized smallies waiting to be caught!