White Bass / Wiper / Striped Bass: Where and How to Catch Them by Season
Where White Bass / Wiper / Striped Bass hold, what to throw and when the bite peaks, season by season, with lakes to try.
When the bite is on
Across 268 lakes in our guide that list this fish, the bite rates highest in April, May, October. Bars show how strong the bite is, month by month (tallest bar in red is the peak).
Season by season
At 50-58F, white bass run up rivers and tributaries to spawn. Wipers and stripers also move to shallow flats. Small jigs, spinners and minnows in current are great.
They form open-water schools chasing shad at 10-40 ft. Watch birds and surface splashes. Topwaters, spoons, and slabs work early and late, with downriggers and live bait for deep fish.
Fall is prime. Schools push shad into coves and the surface, in water of 55-70F. Run-and-gun with swimbaits, spoons, and topwaters.
They stay deep at 20-50 ft around channels and bait balls. Vertical spoons, slabs and live shad are best, mostly on warm days.
White bass spawn at 55-65F in rivers, gravel runs and shallow flats. Spawning fish are easy to catch but numbers fall quickly if over-harvested.
Baits that work
- White jigs and curly tails
- Spoons and slabs
- Inline spinners
- Topwater poppers
- Live shad or minnows
Common mistakes
- Not searching for birds
- Staying where there is no bait
- Using heavy line
- Missing the early morning bite
Lakes to try
Lakes in our guide where this fish rates at its best, with maps, boat ramps and bait shops on every page.