Spring arrives March 20, and that usually means that many fish species are now getting ready to spawn in area lakes. The weather has been swinging wildly recently with a few warming trends thrown in, but much warmer weather is needed before the fish will be spawning.

Inclement weather makes forecasting the exact time of the spring spawn for all lake species very difficult. It has appeared lately that the spawning for all species might be delayed due to cold inclement weather in February. Outlook for the next 10 days shows a slight warming trend after a couple days of rain so maybe we are headed in the right direction.

The water temperature has been struggling to reach and stay above the mid 50-degree mark. On the few warm days we have had recently, the surface temperature in shallow water has reached the upper 50s but then cold nights drop the temperature back to the low- to mid-50s.

The weather forecast for next week indicates a return to nighttime temperatures in the 30s and daytime temperatures in the 50s and that won’t translate into warmer water temperatures that are needed to get the fish in a spawning mood.

The water temperatures are warm enough for the white bass, hybrid bass and striped bass to have begun their annual movement up the lakes’ creeks and rivers in an attempt to spawn. The hybrid and striped bass cannot actually spawn in Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee but they make the spawning movement up the creeks and rivers anyway.

Crappie will begin their spawn soon as they have just recently begun to move to the mouths of coves and in some areas they have moved part ways into the coves. The muddy and cold water in February set the crappie back a little, but as soon as the water warms a few degrees the crappie will begin to migrate toward spawning areas.

We are still a few degrees away from the temperature preferred by the crappie for spawning and they have just begun their initial movement into the coves. My Japanese magnolias are about to bloom, but nothing yet from the dogwoods and redbuds. When they do bloom, that is a sure sign the crappie spawn will be in full swing.

I think the largemouth bass just like all the other species have been confused and slowed by the inclement weather but they have begun to show some movement toward their spawning areas in Lake Sinclair, which indicates the pre-spawn period. No sign of that movement yet in Lake Oconee.

We need a week of 70-degree weather with mild nighttime temperatures. That will push the water temperatures into the 60s and when it reaches the mid- to upper-60s the largemouth will move from the pre-spawn period and actually spawn.

Weather can play havoc with spawning due to rising and falling water temperatures. Rain, even if it muddies the lake some, doesn’t have a negative impact on spawning. Spring rains will actually cause the water to warm and can speed up the spawn for all species.

Look for the crappie to move into the coves over the next one to two weeks and begin a move to their spawning grounds around wood structure. Water temperature impacts the crappie spawn greatly and if we see water temperatures rise a few degrees, we could see the crappie spawn beginning in two to three weeks.

Trolling jigs and jig/minnows in the coves will get better and better (assuming warmer weather) in the next two to three weeks. Once they actually move to wood structures to spawn, casting jigs or minnows to those structures will also catch good numbers of crappie.

The largemouth bass spawn will follow on the heels of the crappie spawn, and if we get some stable weather and water temperatures continue to rise, the largemouth will be spawning in earnest during mid to late March and on into early April.

There are several lures that will catch largemouth bass during the pre-spawn and spawning period. Some of the best lures include spinnerbaits, plastic worms/lizards, soft jerk baits, small crankbaits, jigs and topwater plugs.

The middle of March through the middle of April offers excellent fishing on Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee as the fish move to shallow water and attempt to spawn. If you like catching big fish and numbers of fish you need to be on the lake during this period. Good fishing and see you next week.