On Clear Lake, check water temp and hitch before you pick a bait

Clear Lake is two fisheries stitched at the Narrows, and Bass Angler Magazine’s Sept. 6, 2026 guide says most wasted first casts come from treating it as one lake. North water around Rodman Slough and Library Park is shallow and weedy; south water around Redbud and Bass Alley is volcanic rock and offshore humps.

The highest-probability play right now is stained shallow flats and tule edges with a swim jig or lipless crank. When fish slide deeper, the magazine’s switch is south-end rock humps with a jig or football head. Two checks beat any single lure tip: current water temperature at the spot you are about to start, and whether hitch are showing in the shallows.

Hitch on the bank means swimbaits and glidebaits go on the deck before anything else. Summer fish still use shade and vegetation midday; fall baitfish push into cove backs. Rough temperature guide from the piece: under about 55°F, fish are deep or staging; 62–68°F is the spawn window; above about 75°F they slide to shade and deeper cover in the middle of the day. Confirm current Clear Lake bass bag and size rules before you keep fish.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Bass Angler Magazine — Two Checks That Win on Clear Lake Bass Fishing (Sept. 6, 2026).