Beat the lake chaos with a deeper understanding of river fishing

It’s easy to find solitude on the lake in the spring. Ditto the fall, especially as the calendar flips closer to winter. But summer? Better be prepared to either deal with the traffic resulting from tubing, wake boarding, and water skiing, or sacrifice on sleep and hit the water early in the morning or late in the evening.

Plenty of anglers do it. After all, if the choice is to stay home or share the lake, most anglers are going to grin and bear the extra activity.

But there’s another option that allows you to wet a line and, often as not, avoid the crowds.

Welcome to the river. For many people, rivers generate wonder and spark a sense of nostalgia that has more to do with their place in American history than any specific memory. And for those who like never being entirely sure what’s on the other end of the line, there may be no better place than the flowing water.

While lakes and rivers are different beasts, fish are fish. During the warm summer months, they seek out cooler water. In rivers, that likely means deeper areas – such as pools where the water is slower-moving – or around structure that provides shade – overhanging vegetation, trees, and other items that throw shade into the water.

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Other good places to check? Boulders, fallen trees, logs, and rocks – including wing dams – that provide current breaks, shelter, and the opportunity to fish to ambush prey. Areas with riffles and runs also provide food and oxygenated water for species such as smallmouth bass and trout.

One of the best parts of river fishing is knowing that pretty much any type of fish can hit at any time. Fishing for walleyes? Don’t be surprised if a white bass takes your jig. Or a sturgeon or bass or catfish or sauger or any of the dozens of underutilized fish that you may never have seen before.

That said, here is a primer on targeting the more commonly sought-after fish on a river.

Bass

(largemouth and smallmouth)

Be sure to check: Structures that break up the current where bass can sit and ambush prey. This could be behind a single big boulder all the way up to a large sandbar. And don’t forget the old standby for bass, emergent and submerged vegetation. Smallmouth bass, in particular, often can be found around shallower, faster moving water.

Baits: Baits for the river aren’t all that different from baits for lakes. Jigs and Texas-rigged plastics are good for probing shallow vegetation or pitching around cover, while spinnerbaits and crankbaits can be good choices for more active fish. Topwater baits can be especially fun on the river when bass are chasing prey near the surface.

Catfish

(channel and flathead)

Be sure to check: Catfish tend to be especially active during the summer, though, like other species, they generally spend the heat of the day in deeper, cooler water, or in thick, shade-offering structure like fallen trees and tree roots. But while they spend the day in these deeper areas, they move shallower in the evening and at night to feed, which is why night fishing for them is so effective and popular. Areas where river currents come together – including where tributaries enter the larger river – also are good places to check.

Baits: Catfish are bottom feeders, so using heavy weights to keep your bait near the bottom is key. Oftentimes, an effective rig includes nothing more than a heavy weight and a strong hook. Worms are good for channel catfish, while live baits tend to be more effective for flathead catfish. Pre-prepared stink baits also are effective. One thing to keep in mind, especially if you’re targeting flathead catfish: They’re extremely strong fighters and tend to be in areas with lots of snags and other obstructions. Make sure your rod, reel, and line are up to the task.

Walleyes

(and sauger)

Be sure to check: The same ambush areas, including wing dams, that draw bass also draw walleyes. Depending on the clarity of the river, walleyes tend to be deeper and less active when the sun is high in the sky. During lowlight conditions, look for them along current breaks or places you’d find them in lakes, including along drop-offs and ledges.

Baits: Options abound for targeting walleyes. Classic live bait includes leeches, minnows, and nightcrawlers. They’re effective on live bait rigs or attached to jigs. Jigs and plastics also are fine options for fishing along the bottom and pitched to specific pieces of cover and structure. In larger rivers, don’t overlook trolling crankbaits through deeper areas.