Bass Fishing Report - October 16, 2025

Bass Fishing Report: October 16–20, 2025

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Bass fishing report for this week brought to you by:

Generally, a decent bass fishing weather pattern leading into a new moon period early next week, will deliver pretty good bass fishing odds & conditions this coming weekend.  As you will see on the animated Ratings and Seasonal Pattern Heat Maps below, the 2 biggest things anglers need to know to make the best possible bass catching decisions are:

• The Bass Forecast Feeding Mood Rating will be EPIC to GOOD (Fish Fast) in the nation’s midsection and FAIR to TOUGH (Fish Slow) in the East and West.
  

• The prevailing seasonal pattern will be either EARLY FALL or FALL. There are big differences between these 2 patterns that will affect your fishing decisions on locations and baits.
  
  Check your local seasonal bass patterns for this weekend inside the Bass Forecast app

Watch the three things you need to know about picking the right reel.

Regional Bass Fishing Report & Baits

Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho)

Bass Bite: FAIR → GOOD
Predominant Pattern: FALL

Cool/unsettled stretches favor shallow patterns and baits including Top Waters, Square Bill Crankbaits to Jigs and Worms when fish are not coming up.   Fishing in the correct seasonal pattern locations will be key.  Start with Top Water and, if fish are not coming up, go down and get them with jigs and soft plastics.

Top Bait Pick: Throw drop-shot

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

Bass Bite: GOOD (VERY GOOD in lingering cloud cover)
Predominant Pattern: EARLY FALL (desert areas) to FALL

After one of Phoenix’s wettest Octobers on record, guidance points to cooler temps and a drier stretch—perfect for stable dawn/dusk bites. Run walkers/poppers at first light around shade or vegetation, then target thermocline edges/brush with Carolina rigs or deep cranks once the sun climbs.

Top Bait Pick: Throw Crankbait

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

Bass Bite: FAIR → GOOD
Predominant Pattern: EARLY FALL

Heat/humidity still a storyline in TX/Deep South, with many TX metros running unusually warm this October. Fish grass/docks at dawn with frogs/buzzbaits/flukes; after sunrise, flip/punch heavy cover or drag Carolina rigs on ledges/shell bars. Cloud decks or pre-storm breezes can extend the moving-bait bite.

Top Bait Pick: Throw Topwater

Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah)

Bass Bite: FAIR → EPIC (variable by elevation)
Predominant Pattern: FALL to LATE FALL (Higher elevations)

Warm, stable mornings with spotty PM storms in places. Hit backs of coves and creeks, docks, and any steep bluffs and banks very near shallow water.  Fish Walking baits/Poppers in low light/cloud cover to wacky rigs/compact football jigs when skies go bluebird; speed up again if a pre-storm breeze/pressure dip shows.

Top Bait Pick: Throw Wacky Rig

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

Bass Bite: GOOD → EPIC
Predominant Pattern: FALL 

Ridge-leaning warmth holds; use wind-blown banks/points at sunrise, then ledges/brush/thermocline edges with jigs/creatures as the sun builds. Watch for scattered convection on the rim of the ridge for pre-storm pops.

Top Bait Pick: Throw Jigs

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

Bass Bite:  FAIR → EPIC
Predominant Pattern: FALL (northern stretches)  EARLY FALL (southern stretches

Signals point to showers/storms late Fri–Sat around the Mississippi/Ohio valleys (Chicago AFD flags that window), which typically lights up transition structure. Plan topwater over flats/edges at first light, then chase bait-driven wind shifts with cranks/spinnerbaits. First clear sunrise behind the boundary can fish EPIC in pockets.

Top Bait Pick: Throw Topwater early

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

Bass Bite: TOUGH → GOOD
Predominant Pattern: FALL 

A cool, blustery shot midweek warms into Fri–Sat, then turns more unsettled beyond the weekend. Work shallow current/wind edges at first light, then slightly deeper with drop-shots/medium cranks under brighter skies. If clouds roll back in Sunday, expect a short moving-bait window.

Top Bait Pick: Throw Crankbait

Quick Bass Fishing Tactics & Bass Forecast App Tips

• Season toggle: If your lake runs hot/bluebird, roll Bass Season → FALL to EARLY
  FALL to refresh Top-5 baits & locations.

• Timing: Pre-storm pressure dips and the first clear morning after remain
  your best shots at VERY GOOD to EPIC bursts, especially Midwest/Plains

Because the weather and water conditions are rapidly changing this time of year, be sure to check your Bass Forecast mobile app Adapted Patterns® feature.

Bass Forecast Rating brought to you by:

🔥 PRO TIP: Peak action may only last 48–72 hours post front—don’t wait. Use your Bass Forecast Mobile App hourly weather graph to target those pre-front barometric dips and early after-front mornings. Be ready one day ahead—that’s how champions get multiple limits when others are late to the party.

Stay ahead of the bite by leveraging your Bass Forecast app's features, including the Adapted Pattern® Top 5 Baits and Lake Locations, to maximize your success this weekend. To see exactly when bass will be turned on in your area, open your Bass Forecast mobile app and get PRO.

Curious about the Bass Forecast Feeding Mood Ratings and Adapted Pattern® recommendations for the weekend?

Now’s the perfect time to go PRO.

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Bass Forecast Tip: 

Over 1.5 million+ Bass Forecast anglers have used these tips to boost catch rates during the cooler season.

1. Don't rely on “what worked yesterday.” It's not a solid strategy. The trickiest part of figuring out the bite in bass fishing is that patterns can change daily based on the weather, thus changing the feeding behavior of bass. Use the Bass Forecast app feature Adapted Patterns® to help adapt your strategy in real time. Bass Forecast Adapted Patterns® has predicted the winning pattern in 86% of top flight bass fishing tournaments 7 to 10 days before the tournament began.  

2. Select best odds days up to 10 days in advance by getting Bass Forecast PRO inside the app. While there's no ‘guarantee’ of success on any single outing, double blind research has shown that season long average catch rates during GOOD/EPIC rated days are 68% to 305% higher than the average. Fisheries biologist research has also proven that bigger bass are caught during GOOD/EPIC days due to proactive vs reactive feeding behavior.

3. Whenever you go, the Bass Forecast Rating combined with the Seasonal Pattern guides the 3 key elements of a successful bass catching pattern.

Tight lines and happy fishing!

Stay ahead of the seasonal shifts, and make the most of these prime bass fishing days. Don't forget to check the Bass Forecast app for all the latest insights to keep your trips productive.

Here’s to reeling in some big ones!