How Fish Respond to Rain by Seasons
Winter
During winter, fish are trying to find as warm of water as possible. Any warming of water temperatures will spike feeding activity. Rainfall typically will have a warming effect on water temperature.
Fish will emerge from deep wintering holes and move closer to creek inlets that will be pumping the most warmer water into a lake. This can be a great time and place to catch smallmouth bass, catfish, carp, pike, and walleye.
Spring
During early spring, rain will have a warming effect similar to winter. As spring progresses and the air temperature rises, rain begins to have a cooling effect on lakes. Fish will naturally be shallow for the spawn.
If a fish is spawning, they aren’t going to leave their beds to feed if it rains. If they aren’t spawning, most fish will move to the back ends of deep creeks as well to the mouths of feeders streams to take advantage of the influx of nutrients, food, and cooler temperatures.
Summer
Summer temperatures can get very hot. Fish are the most active sunrise, sunset, and at night. During the day, most fish are tucked up under or tight to structure. Rain is a welcome relief and fish become very active as a storm approaches.
Before and during a rainstorm can be a great time to fish. Overcast conditions can really make fish aggressive. Fish will also move to the mouths of creeks to feed.
Fall
During fall, rain can actually start a lake’s annual turnover event which is when a lake goes from cooler water down deep and warm water up top in summer and flips it so warmer water is now on the bottom of a lake as winter takes hold.
Fish will move in shallow when it rains taking advantage of food availability hoping to pack on some weight before the lean winter hits. This can be a time when fish are very hungry and easier to catch.
How to Fish: Before, During, After Rain
Before Rain
Fish aggressively and fast for pre-rain fish. Bass and pike, in particular, are very willing to chase down fast-moving prey before the rain sets in. The dropping barometric pressure will trigger active feeding.
Topwater options like poppers, buzzbaits, frogs, and chatterbaits work super well. Big swimbaits work well too. Perhaps the best bass bait you could use is a square-bill crankbait grinding that bill into the bottom substrate near rocks.
During Rain
When it is raining, fishing can still be really good. Topwater baits can work as long as they have good noise or water displacement since the sound of rain will make it harder for fish to hear. Buzzbaits and poppers are good. You can still go with the square-bill crankbait too. Fly fishing is really good during a rain event too for trout in streams.
After Rain
After rain, it is important to slow your approach way down. Whereas fish were very active before the rain willing to chase down fast-moving lures, now they become very sluggish. Now is the time to start fishing tight to deeper cover with vertical baits.
Jigs, plastic worms, and salamanders are good ideas. Fish those baits slow and tight to cover for sluggish bites. Fish won’t be aggressively feeding but you can still catch bass.
1. In Lakes, Food Availability Trumps Comfort
In lake systems, fish are seeking food first and comfort second. Fish will position themselves in water deeper, shallower, more turbulent, colder, or hotter than would prefer if food is present.
A fish is often guided by its stomach so if you find food, you will find fish even if conditions don’t seem “comfortable” for fish. Keep this principle in mind as you read on.
2. In Rivers, Current Trumps Everything
Food is more important than comfort in rivers too but current dictates everything for river fish. Current dictates where food is and also where bigger fish move to. If you can find current, you will find food and fish.
To learn how to locate and catch fish in streams, rivers, and canals, you should read my complete guide. This thing is loaded with tips that will catch you a lot of fish.
3. Fish Topwater
Topwater fishing is the best in low-light conditions. This dawn, dusk, and night fishing.
Topwater can also be amazing when it is raining out. Rain causes reduced sunlight and water turbidity. As a result fish like bass and pike will aggressively follow and hammer topwater baits especially those like buzzbaits and poppers that produce noise.
4. Fish Faster
Big fish are more aggressive right before and during the rain. Reduced light, cooling temperatures, and dropping barometric pressure makes fish more aggressive feeders.
As such, they become very willing to chase and hunt quicker moving prey. Cast search baits like swimbaits, spinners, buzzbaits, and crankbaits with nice quick retrieves. Now is the best time to really get some fast aggressive bites.
5. Fish Where Water Drains into Lake
Fish will tend to congregate at the mouths of feeder streams and rivers that feed into a lake or larger river during times of rain. Heavy rain upstream washed a lot of nutrients, microorganisms, and warmer or cooler water down into the lake. This attracts not only small fish but much larger fish.
6. Fish Along Banks
Banks can be a great place to fish when it’s raining. Rainwater will wash down the sides of banks pushing small insects and nutrients into the water. These added food sources will attract shad, bluegills, yellow perch, shiners, minnows, crayfish, and suckers into shallow water. Obviously, bigger fish like bass and pike will follow them into shallow water. When it is raining out, fishing a couple feet from shore can give awesome success.
7. Focus on Storm Direction, Creek Orientation
If you have a stream feeding into the lake from the west the storm is moving north to south, chances the lake won’t become that muddy since the storm had a lessened effect on the stream.
However, if that same stream got hit by a storm moving east to west, that stream is going to be exposed to a lot more rain and longer time under the rain as well. This could make enough muddy water to completely dirty up a good-sized lake.
8. Fish Don’t Like Turbidity
Fish do not like living in turbid water. Turbid water can stir up nutrients which is good but it also makes it harder for fish to see, messing with their ability to detect their surroundings using their lateral line, and it can irritate their gills as they breathe. Fish away from heavily turbid water.
9. Find Places Free of Turbid Water
As mentioned, fish try to avoid very turbid water. Look for backwater sloughs, coves, and eddies off the main current and off the main body where fish can find some sanctuary from the muddy and irritating conditions that are present elsewhere in the water. If you can find clear water in a lake full of muddy water, you will find a lot of fish.
10. Wind Determines Fish Location
Wind can play a big role in where fish will be when it’s raining out. Steady winds can blow plankton and nutrients to one of the sides of the lake. Often times, baitfish and bigger fish will follow chase.
However, somethings these wind-driven sides of the lake can become much colder than baitfish want to tolerate and they actually are repelled by this. In this event, look for the closest structure or feature 6-12 feet in depth. This is a great place to search first.
11. Fish Structure, Not Cover
It is vital that we differentiate structure from cover. Cover is anything that can decay or be moved by currents or other factors. We are talking small logs, weeds, and other organic matter. Structure is features that aren’t going anywhere.
Bridge pilings, docks, boulders, and big logs are considered structure. Focus on fishing structure during rainstorms as they will hold more fish than cover ever will at this time.
12. Avoid Thunderstorms!
I recommend fishing in the rain as long as you want to and are enjoying yourself. Don’t mess around when it comes to lightning though.
You don’t to be the tallest thing on a big lake or river far away from the boat launch during a violent thunderstorm. If you hear thunder rumbling in the distance, just call it a day. Better to be safe and live to fish another day.
13. Rain Can Change Micro-Environments
When rain occurs, it is typically warmer than the water temperature during the winter and cooler than the lake’s temperature during the summer. As rainwater washes down streams into the lake, a small pocket of warmer or colder water will exist around that creek mouth. This can attract a lot of fish.
It can also elevate oxygen-levels and add food to the water creating its own micro-environment. This is a really nice at-depth water thermometer that can read down to 300 feet. Even though it is an investment, you can use this in so many different types of fishing situations.
14. Rising Water: Possibilities & Setbacks
Rising water after a rainy day can create possibilities and setbacks for fishermen. It can flood new ground and give defined spots where fish are likely to position like creek mouths but it also creates so many new hiding spots for fish that it becomes much harder to find them.
Simply put, an abundance of options means fish can be more spread out and some cover may not have any fish at all. You could waste a lot of time trying to find fish in flooded water.
15. Known Landmarks may be Submerged
Anytime you start getting heavy rain, you have to know the water in the lake or river is bound to swell some. Sometimes it can swell so much that know structure and cover you have fished for ages is underwater and invisible to the naked eye.
I’m talking lily pads, rocks, weeds, and stumps. Just because you can’t see it does not mean fish won’t still use it. Relocate these features as best you can to catch fish.
16. Be Careful Boating in High Water
To piggyback off my last tip, structure like boulders, logs, and docks are no less dangerous and formidable simply because they are underwater. These structures can ruin your boat and be very dangerous for anyone inside if these are struck at speed.
Be extra careful navigating your boat through raised water as you can never truly know what’s underwater just in front of your boat.
17. Obey Buoys & Markers
Buoys and river markers are there for a reason. They are usually put in place to accommodate for flooded water so make sure you obey their warnings. Do not drive your boat outside of markers as this can result in bad things for you and your boat.
These markers are hopefully updated often enough to provide boaters a fairly accurate representation of the dangers in each section of river or lake. When it’s raining out, these can really save your butt.
18. Seek out Clear Water
Anytime you see muddy or turbid water following a rain event, you will want to find the clearest water you can find. Turbid water stirs up particles which can make it hard for fish to see, make it hard for them to detect things with their lateral line, and also irritate their gills when they breathe so fish try to avoid these turbid settings.
If you find a pocket of relatively clear water in a sea of dirty water, you will find fish here.
19. Fish Points of Creeks
When streams feed into lakes at an angle, they will create a point of sand and vegetation that angles out into the lake. Fish will position themselves around these points when it’s raining out.
When the current flow is raging, fish will position themselves in the eddy on the lakeside of the point facing the stream. When the current is less strong, fish could move right in front of the current and start feeding.
20. Ignore Creeks in Light Rain
We know that feeder creeks can be excellent places to fish during and soon after a rainstorm because they wash nutrients, microorganisms, and warmer or cooler water into the lake.
When you get a lot of rain resulting in localized swelling of the streams, that is the perfect approach. But if you only get a little rain, it will have zero effect on streamflow and fish will not gravitate to the mouths of these streams.
Switch Baits Often
When fishing in rain, it is important to not fall in love with one bait. Switch your lure-types often to find something fish will respond to. I don’t mean switch patterns from a black spinnerbait to a gold spinnerbait. I mean switch types of lures.
Try a spinnerbait, then a buzzbait, then a square-bill. Keep experimenting until you catch something or determine you are in the wrong spot.
22. Fish Deep for Unaffected Water
If you start noticing unfavorable conditions for fish like really cold rain, muddy water, and advanced turbidity, look for fish down deeper. For the most part, the deepest holes in a lake won’t be as affected by the rain and conditions as the upper 2/3 will be.
Fish will move down to deeper water to be cushioned from the nastier conditions around them. This is a great place to fish when you’ve had no luck finding them elsewhere.
23. Baitfish are Attracted to Feeder Streams
Feeder creeks and drainages wash sediment and microorganisms both off the land and downstream into the lake. Baitfish like bluegills, shad, and minnows really like feeding on these microorganisms and schools of baitfish will draw in close to the mouths of these streams for food.
Bass, catfish, walleye, and pike will follow the food. This can make for great fishing action if you select baitfish-pattern lures matching shad or bluegills.
24. Noisy, Water-Displacing Baits
When it’s raining out, you are already competing with the noise of rain falling on the water’s surface. Reduced light, water turbidity, and increase ambient noise can make it tougher for fish to find your lure.
A great way to catch fish now is by using a noisy lure like a chatterbait or a buzzbait. You can also use a bait that displaced water like a square-bill crankbait and a popper.
25. More Flexibility with Bait Choice in Rain
The beauty about fishing either during or right after a rain is the water is stirred up and much less clear than it otherwise would be. This means you can get away with a lot more lures and fish won’t be able to tell it isn’t real.
Instead of worrying about making sure your lure matches an exact bait item, you can toss around a wide range of lures and have success simply because fish can’t see it as well. You can also use a stronger, thicker diameter fishing line too.
26. Rain Can Distort Fish’s View of You
Rain can really help you when it comes to hiding from fish. Many fish have remarkable vision and they can detect threats coming from above the surface of the water.
A steady rain can distort the surface of the water and affect a fish’s ability to make out what you are or even see you at all. Use the rain to your advantage. It can allow you to get much closer and get away with sudden motions that you couldn’t get away with on a clear day.
27. Get Out of Main Current Quick in Rivers
It is important to get your boat out of the main current in flooded rivers quickly. Not only can it be dangerous to linger in strong current too long but submerged debris floating downstream can damage your boat, motors, and even rattle sensitive on-board electronics.
Not to mention the risk of driving over submerged structure you can’t see. Only travel in heavy current as long as absolutely needed. For information on fishing for catfish in flooded rivers, check out this article.
28. Park Boat in Calmer Water
Once you get out of the strong, dangerous current, it is important to park your boat in much calmer waters. Not only will your boat be protected from impact in calmer water, but you’ll also be able to anchor safely and start fishing.
I would recommend you park your boat in a protected eddy or back slough just outside the current so you can still cast near the seams. These will be where most fish are hiding out the storm.
29. Use a 2-Anchor System
I think you should always consider using a 2-anchor system but especially in moving water like a flooded river after rain. Have one quality river anchor in the front of the boat and one in the back and tightly cinch down both ropes to keep your boat steady and safe.
I really like this river anchor I found on Amazon and 20-pounds is a great weight for use in rivers. I think this is a good deal. Go with 2.
30. Fish Seams
Anywhere you find good current, fish will be holding tight to the “seams”. Seams occur where fast-moving main current water meets slower eddy off to the sides. This calmer slack water holds fish resting out the of the main current who are waiting for food to be pushed past them.
Cast your baits and lures into the main current and make sure to let them linger in these seam zones which is where most of your strikes will occur. This is especially important after a good rain.
Be Aware of Submerged Debris
Anytime you are fishing in a river, there will be some submerged debris moving beneath you. When it is raining out, this can be especially prevalent as floodwater uproots trees and moves them much faster in the water.
This is a recommendation for your safety and your boat’s safety. You can also get your gear all fouled up by moving debris so if you see debris approaching your line, you’d be smart to reel it in fast and cast elsewhere.
33. Get Good Rain Gear
I’m not going to recommend a specific rain gear item to you since there are so many styles and brands to choose from and new editions are being added constantly. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on rain gear but just don’t cheap out and get a cheap poncho.
Get a nice rain jacket and nice rain pants. If you don’t, you are going to be soaked and get cold. The warmer and dryer you stay, the longer you can fish.
37. Fish Water You Are Familiar With
Rainy days and flooded water is not the time to start exploring a new stretch of river. Go fish waterways you already know. They are going to look a lot different when you see them all swollen with dirty rainwater but at least you’ll know where fish typically hold up in that stretch. Structure may be submerged and invisible but fish will still associate loosely with them.
39. Fish Black Baits in Gray Water
If you notice the stream water has a grayish tint to it, go with the blackest lures you can find. Dark brown, dark navy, and dark purple can work well too. I recommend black because it will appear the most visible to trout in gray floodwater. Most people think you want bright-colored baits in cloudy water but I think black is the best option.
40. Never Go Above Thigh-Deep
You really shouldn’t go above thigh-high water in a river anyways but we all do it. I’ve gone chest-high countless times and often it resulted in flooded waders and a nice involuntary swim downstream. But in heavy water following rain, you really should not go above your thighs.
This water can be very strong and also carry debris which can trip or injure your ankles and knees. Wading into deep flooded water is asking for really bad stuff to happen.
41. Be Safe & Careful
Anytime you are fishing in the rain you should be careful. This is true whether you are fishing from shore, from a boat in a lake or a roaring river, or wading into a muddy stream.
Just be careful and be sure of your every step. Don’t be careless and you’ll have a good, safe time. You may even catch a lot of fish for your efforts.
