White bass fishing tips: the spring run, best lures, time of day and winter schools

White bass fishing tips for Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Ohio and the Midwest: when the spring spawning run starts, best rivers and creeks, lures and jigs, surface feeding in summer, winter schools on reservoirs and best times.

White bass ("sand bass" in Texas) are some of the most fun fish in fresh water. They travel in big schools, hit hard, fight well for their size and are easy to catch once you find them. Every spring their run up rivers and creeks draws crowds of anglers. These white bass fishing tips will help you find the schools all year.

Where to fish

White bass live in big reservoirs and rivers across the central and southern US:

Texas: Lake Fork, Lake Texoma (TX/OK), Lake Buchanan, Lake Ray Roberts and many rivers that feed reservoirs.
Oklahoma and Kansas: Grand Lake, Lake Eufaula, Milford Lake, El Dorado and others.
Arkansas and Missouri: Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals, Truman Lake, Lake of the Ozarks.
Ohio and the Great Lakes: the Maumee and Sandusky River runs and western Lake Erie.

White bass seasons

Period	Where white bass are	What to do
Late winter (Feb–Mar)	Schools gather at the mouths of rivers and creeks	Fish points and creek mouths
Spring run (Mar–Apr)	Up rivers and creeks to spawn over gravel and sand	Cast jigs and small crankbaits in current
Late spring	Back to the main lake	Points, humps and flats
Summer	Open water chasing shad	Surface feeding: watch for birds and "boils" at dawn
Fall	Following shad into creeks and coves	Fast action on schooling fish
Winter	Deep schools on main lake humps and channel edges	Vertical jigging with slabs and spoons

The spring run starts when water reaches the mid-50s°F, often after a warm rain that raises the river. Exact timing changes with the year and the region: in Texas it can start in February, in Ohio in April.

Best lures

Small jigs and grubs (⅛–¼ oz) in white, chartreuse or silver: the number-one run bait.
Inline spinners and small spoons: easy to cast in current.
Small crankbaits and lipless crankbaits: cover water on flats.
Slab spoons (½–1 oz): for deep winter schools and vertical jigging.
Topwater poppers and walking baits: in summer and fall when fish chase shad on top.

A popular trick is a tandem rig: a jig with a small fly or grub 18 inches above it. You can catch two at a time.

Best time of day

Spring run: fish bite all day in the river; dawn and dusk are often best in clear water.
Summer: early morning surface feeding, then fish go deeper. Evenings can be good again.
Winter: midday, when the sun warms the water a little.

Watch for gulls diving and shad jumping: a school of white bass is usually under them. Strong solunar periods that line up with sunrise often bring the best schooling action.

Finding the schools

Use your electronics on reservoirs to find bait and schools on humps and points.
Fish current breaks in rivers: eddies, sandbars, the end of riffles.
Once you catch one, stay: where there's one white bass, there are dozens.
Move fast if the school sinks; they often resurface nearby.

Gear

Rod: a 6½–7 ft light or medium-light spinning rod.
Line: 6–8 lb monofilament or braid with a light fluorocarbon leader.
Keep it simple: a tackle box of jigs, spoons and a few crankbaits covers most situations.

White bass vs. hybrid striped bass

Many reservoirs also have hybrid striped bass (wipers) and striped bass. Hybrids look similar but have broken stripes and grow larger. They often school together. Learn more in our striped bass fishing tips.

Practical tips

Watch the river flow and water temperature in spring.
Check your state's regulations: white bass limits are often generous, but some waters have special rules.
Keep a few to eat: white bass are tasty when bled and kept cold.

Plan with Solunar

Solunar shows sunrise, sunset, moon phase and solunar windows on one 24-hour dial with a 1–4 star day rating, for your exact creek or reservoir, offline. Combine it with water temperature and river levels to time the run.