Fall can be one of the most beautiful times of year to fish with the colorful leaves on shoreline hardwoods setting off the edge of the lake. Fish are feeding heavily to get ready for the approaching lean winter months. Many animals are active and are enjoyable to watch, and pleasure boaters become scarce.

The shorter days of fall give you less time for fishing, especially after work, so planning becomes even more important. Most vacations are over, the kids are back in school, and you must work around their schedules if you want to take them with you.

Dressing for the weather can be difficult in the fall just as in the spring. Mornings are often almost cold while the middle of the day is very warm. Dressing in layers is the way to go because you can adjust what you're wearing easily. Just be prepared for the changing temperatures when you go.

The weather is usually calm and good early in the fall but gets progressively worse as winter approaches. Be prepared and schedule trips around weather forecasts. Going offshore for fish migrating south can be a very rewarding trip this time of year, but be sure to watch the weather and be prepared to head in.

Freshwater Fishing in Fall

Fall runs of some kinds of salmon and steelhead offer fast fishing in many streams and rivers. Bass move shallow to feed and are easier to catch in numbers then just about any other time. Walleye and perch also feed and are at their biggest and fattest of the year. Bluegill, as always, cooperate by hitting anything they see.

Saltwater Offers an Abundance of Migrating Fish

Saltwater fish that migrated north during the spring will be headed back south and pass your way again in the fall. They school up and can be caught in huge numbers when you find a group of them. As they travel, they often come in close to shore just as they do in the spring, so pier fishing can be good.

Bottom fish like grouper and sea bass will move to more shallow water as it cools in the fall, bringing them closer to shore and cutting the time it takes to run out to them. They will stay in more shallow water until near the end of the fall when the water gets really cold, and then they will move back out to deeper water for the winter.