The main challenges we receive from cold fronts are the less than ideal and unmotivating fishing conditions they bring; Cold overnight temperatures, cloudless, bluebird, bright skies with humid-less crisp air that accompanies the high pressure that rides the frontal system’s backside. Spring cold fronts come frequently and often, as they usually follow thunderstorms, rain events, and wind shift weather patterns.

Cold fronts can be a weekly occurrence and they all seemingly happen under the worst possible timing – and the worst is at the onset of spring fishing trips. They also come in all shapes and sizes, characterized by northwesterly systems and air flow. Untimely cold fronts deliver wind shifts, barometric pressure changes, clearing skies, and bitterly cold air temperatures. Any combination will result in a change in bass behavior.

Bass have acute senses about the weather, detecting sudden changes. Their swim bladders and sensory organs drastically react to passing fronts and pressure changes. Fish instinctively display positive and negative reactions to changes in weather depending on its severity. For every weather pattern, bass will always display a positive or negative reaction in response to it.

While subtle shifts in weather patterns can stimulate aggressive feeding, sudden, harsh changes that happen so quickly will also suppress their activity level. Cold fronts shock fish, stunt their movements, and halt their feeding. That’s what makes them so challenging to deal with in spring.

Coldfronts Suck

Few anglers realize this, but smallmouths are far more sensitive creatures than perceived to be. In my opinion, they are more temperamental than walleyes during these events, especially from deep, clear water fisheries. They are helpless victims of weather changes.

Oppositely, largemouths living in dark water lakes and heavily vegetated bloom waters love these types of weather changes and are known to fire up and feed heavily during cold front conditions. This activity is most evident in summer and fall.

Spring through fall, cold fronts produce similar effects. Always have the expectation that fish will reposition themselves and move into predictable locations next to cover or structure. Smallmouths will slide deeper, becoming bottom huggers, and not chase baits as readily. Largemouths, meanwhile, will hold tighter to cover and deeper in vegetation, using these habitats for their protection and feeding.

The fishing gets tougher, but the fish are still there. If they were previously active, they’re likely lethargic now. What you had prior to the front was a large, 5-to-10-foot strike zone, in which fish were chasers, that has now shrunk down to a 6-inch strike zone in which your baits need to land atop or next to the fish in order to trigger a bite.

The entire day after a cold front’s passage puts every angler to the test. Every fishing decision you make from lake choice and location to lure selection will be based on the severity and duration of the cold front.

They Suck Especially in Spring

Spring coldfronts are the WORST!

For largemouths, they’re not as bad. A largemouth bass might react positively by seeking the thickest cover and feeding more aggressively in a cold front.

For smallmouths they’re horrible, as they could go dormant and dwell the lake bottom until after a cold front passes. 

Spring coldfronts are horrific when they shut down bites, cool water temperatures, and delay movements and migrations that help lead smallmouths to spawn. They’re even bad when cold weather and high winds influence canceled trips.

I’ve fished under April and May snow showers before. Those were quite the experiences.

Bad weather negatively impacts bass fishing. Spring cold fronts with cold northwest winds delay all spring movements including the spawn, and bass retreat away from the shallows until water temps climb again. Spring cold fronts are so detrimental to fisheries that they can shut down feeding at most lakes unless the current within a river system or flowage helps minimize the impact and effects.

We can’t control the moods of fish, but we can trigger responses during the passage of fronts. It’s possible to counter cold fronts, but always challenging. Anglers who can force themselves to abandon yesterday’s hot pre-frontal fishing pattern and figure out a new one will catch the most fish.

Man up, and just simply lower your expectations. Complain all you want about cold fronts, but the bass are always going to be catchable.