Bass Fishing Report

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Bass fishing report for this week brought to you by:

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Bass Fishing Report: May 14th - May 18th, 2026

EPIC news and it couldn’t come at a better time, the weekend after Mother’s Day. If you took care of Mom last weekend, you should have plenty of credits in the favor bank to cash in now.

A stable warming trend plus a New Moon is lining up EPIC bass fishing conditions across much of the U.S. arguably the highest-rated weekend of the year so far. So get out there, bend a rod, and make Momma proud. And if she loves bass fishing…take her with.

Those memories will outlast the flowers by a mile.

So let's break it down in the Bass Feeding Activity Ratings map below. Scroll down to see how this split impacts your region with the Seasonal Pattern Heat Map.

Quick links to your specific regional fishing forecast below

Pacific Northwest | Southwest | Southeast | Rocky Mountains | Great Plains | Midwest | Northeast

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Your Regional Bass Fishing Report

Check the Bass Forecast app for your specific 10-day outlook, bite time windows, and bait recommendations tailored to your location.

Quick links to your specific regional fishing forecast below

Pacific Northwest | Southwest | Southeast | Rocky Mountains | Great Plains | Midwest | Northeast

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Pacific Northwest

(Washington, Oregon, Idaho)

Bite: GOOD → TOUGH
Pattern: PRE-SPAWN →SPAWN→ POST-SPAWN

A cool front beginning early week and lasting through the weekend will slow bass metabolism each day over the upcoming 4 days. So, the sooner you get out, the better.  Just be prepared to slow down as the weekend progresses    

Because there will be fish in any one of 3 patterns this weekend, you should view all 3 seasonal patterns in our Bass Forecast app before you go so that you are ready for all 3….and can try each to see which is producing best for you on the day.  

HOT TIP: Fishing for spawning fish is the same regardless of the rating.  But, for when fishing for pre-spawn & post-spawnfish, the activity rating matters a lot.  The fish will be LESS active than normal this weekend.  To see the TOP 5 BAITS you should have on hand, just open your Bass Forecast app to view your exact fishing location (because it uses zip code or nearest town, it works on all bodies of water, from small pond to big lake)

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Southwest

(California, Arizona, Nevada, West Texas, New Mexico)

Bite: GOOD
Pattern: SPAWN → POST-SPAWN → SUMMER

Stable weather on the west coast should produce normal feeding behavior this coming weekend. Winds may be low, which may produce dead calm slick difficult fishing conditions as bass become “spooky.”  See HOT TIP below

In hotter inland areas such as Phoenix, the extreme heat will be tough on fish and anglers alike. Plan accordingly to fish sunrise and set.  If you must fish mid-day, see below HOT TIP  

HOT TIP: WIND speed will be very important in the Southwest the next 4 days.  Since winds are expected to be light, you should view the wind speed charts in weather section of your Bass Forecast mobile app to target the day parts when wind speeds are higher than 6 mph.  

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Southeast

(Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, East Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky)

Bite: GOOD → EPIC
Pattern: POST-SPAWN → SUMMER

The stars in alignment in the SE region this coming weekend.  A warming trend + a new moon on Saturday will produce much higher-than-normal feeding activity.  

Most will have spawned out by now and be in a Post-Spawn to early Summer pattern. 

HOT TIP: If you fished last weekend, what you used last weekend will most likely not work this coming weekend. Make sure you are ready to adapt to the changing weather by looking at the weather adapted TOP 5 Baits and Lake Locations in your Bass Forecast app.  You will see how they change when the ratings change.   

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Rocky Mountains

(Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah)

Bite: GOOD → EPIC

Pattern: PRE-SPAWN→ SPAWN

Rapidly warming temperatures starting today with the passing of the most recent cold front will create increasingly good bass fishing conditions each day for the next 4 days until the next front hits Sunday/Monday. Combined with a new moon on Saturday, feeding activity is projected to be EPIC Friday and Saturday.   

HOT TIP: Fishing for spawning fish is the same regardless of the rating.  But, for when fishing for pre-spawn fish, the activity rating matters a lot.  The fish will be highly active this weekend.  To see the TOP 5 BAITS you should have on hand, just open your Bass Forecast app to view your exact fishing location (because it uses zip code or nearest town, it works on all bodies of water, from small pond to big lake)

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Great Plains

(Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Panhandle, South Dakota, North Dakota)

Bite: FAIR → EPIC

Pattern: PRE-SPAWN → SPAWN → POST SPAWN

Rapidly warming temperatures starting today with the passing of the most recent cold front will create increasingly good bass fishing conditions each day for the next 4 days until the next front hits Sunday/Monday. Combined with a new moon on Saturday, feeding activity is projected to be EPIC Friday and Saturday.    

HOT TIP: Fishing for spawning fish is the same regardless of the rating.  But, for when fishing for pre-spawn and post-spawn fish, the activity rating matters a lot.  The fish will be highly active this weekend.  To see the TOP 5 BAITS you should have on hand, just open your Bass Forecast app to view your exact fishing location (because it uses zip code or nearest town, it works on all bodies of water, from small pond to big lake)

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Midwest

(Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota)

Bite: TOUGH → EPIC

Pattern: PRE-SPAWN → SPAWN→ POST-SPAWN

Warming temperatures will create increasingly good bass fishing conditions this weekend. Combined with a new moon on Saturday, means get out there and bust some lips. 

HOT TIP: Fishing for spawning fish is the same regardless of the rating.  But, for when fishing for pre-spawn and post-spawn fish, the activity rating matters a lot.  The fish will be highly active this weekend.  To see the TOP 5 BAITS you should have on hand, just open your Bass Forecast app to view your exact fishing location (because it uses zip code or nearest town, it works on all bodies of water, from small pond to big lake)

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Northeast

(New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, New England)

Bite: TOUGH → EPIC

Pattern: PRE-SPAWN→SPAWN→ POST-SPAWN

Rapidly warming temperatures will create increasingly good bass fishing conditions each day for the next 4 days. Combined with a new moon on Saturday, feeding activity is projected to be EPIC Friday and Saturday.    

HOT TIP: Fishing for spawning fish is the same regardless of the rating.  But, for when fishing for pre-spawn and post-spawn fish, the activity rating matters a lot.  To see the TOP 5 BAITS you should have on hand, just open your Bass Forecast app to view your exact fishing location (because it uses zip code or nearest town, it works on all bodies of water, from small pond to big lake)

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