Wintering holes are sites where a significant portion of the range-wide population of one or more species overwinter annually. In attempting to research the definition for “wintering site”, you might not find much out there as it relates to specific freshwater fish. There is no concrete, precise definition or description that I’ve found as it pertains to smallmouth bass as an individual species. Instead, I ended up composing my own definition a handful of years ago when I was tasked with presenting a fall themed seminar - Wintering holes aren’t specific spots, but pre-determined survival locations that have been identified and utilized by previous generations and current members of the lake’s bass population. The locations are historical to the lake’s bass fishery because they get visited annually by the same community of bass and an individual fish during its entire lifetime. They’re optimal main lake, deep basin and structural sweet spot locations that a community of bass finds and settles on for overwintering protection, survival, and comfort.   Wintering holes are sensitive locations, and smallmouth schools residing near them are vu