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Home > Take Me Fishing Blog > March 2018 > 4 Determining Factors for Freshwater Fish Spawning Times
If you've ever planned a fishing trip around freshwater fish spawning times, you may already know that the bite can be consistent and incredibly exciting. The reason for this boost in activity is because fish, such as the largemouth bass, tend to feed heavily as they prepare to spawn.
OK, so how do you plan your trips around freshwater fish spawning activity? Sure, you can go with a general answer, such as spring or summer. However, to answer that question more specifically, you'll want to consider two important things.
First, you'll need to decide which freshwater fish species you want to target. Second, you'll have to determine where you want to fish.
While answering these two questions won't always give you the precise freshwater fish spawning times (this is Mother Nature we're talking about here), they will usually give you a pretty good idea. Keep in mind that extreme weather conditions or unusual environmental changes to a waterway can have an impact on fish spawning season from one year to the next.
The bottom line is this -- if you want to plan a spring freshwater fishing trip around fish spawning times, the most important factor to consider will be water temperature. If largemouth bass are your species of choice this spring, one of the best times to fish will be when water temperatures hold steady in the 60-75 degree range.
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Debbie Hanson is an award-winning outdoor writer, women’s sport fishing advocate, IGFA world record holder, and freshwater guide living in Southwest Florida. Hanson’s written work has appeared in publications such as Florida Game & Fish Magazine, BoatUS Magazine, and USA Today Hunt & Fish. To learn more about her work, visit shefishes2.com or follow her on Instagram @shefishes2.
The largemouth bass is the most popular freshwater game fish in the U.S. Learn more about how you can identify a largemouth bass, where to catch it and what bait and lures to use.
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