Striper Season

Early Spring:

Monitor water temperatures, looking for the warmest water you can find that isn't
muddy. Stripers do not like muddy water and will stay ahead of it as it flows into the
lakes after spring rains.

Stripers cannot spawn successfully in most lakes, but they make
an attempt to spawn. They start moving toward their spawning grounds, usually in the tailwaters of the upstream dam,
rivers or large creek feeds when the lake warms into the lower 50s .

As they move, stripers stop and feed along key main-lake structures. Long slow tapering
points that connect with the deep lake river channels are especially good. It is always a
good idea is to check these points beginning in the middle of the reservoir, working your
way up the lake until you locate schools of stripers. Some stripers may stay on long
points and attempt to spawn there rather than move into the headwaters.

Spring:

As the water temp. approaches 60 degrees, look for shallow points in the upper end of
the lakes. Clear, flowing water attracts spawning stripers, so don't be afraid to venture
into extreme shallows upriver. If these areas are muddy, move back down the lake until you
find clear water. Start looking for humps and points, that's where the stripers will be.

Summer:

This is prime live bait time! Stripers are likely to be deep, locate the stripers on
your graph and notice the depth of suspending baitfish schools. Then fish just above this
depth. Stripers feed up, they will seldom go down to take a bait.

Trolling multiple lines at different depths works. Troll across primary main lake
structures, especially humps and points (both shallow and deep), around islands and along
bluff banks. All of these spots attract baitfish. Concentrate on the midsection of the
lake down to the headwaters. Stripers are likely to be sluggish in warm water, so don't
troll too fast.

Fall:

This is a time of transition for stripers. In deep, clear lakes, the water remains warm
longer in early fall, so trolling or live bait is still your best bet. Troll a bit faster
and move your lures progressively shallower as the water cools. When it drops down to the
mid-60s, stripers move much shallower and will be catchable early and late in the day on
long main lake points and humps, and in the deeper creek arms. Feeding activity is likely
to be intense now, so faster moving presentations should draw savage strikes.

Winter:

When the water temp. drops into the mid-50s, stripers move shallow and gorge themselves
on bait fish. I don't mean that you fish the banks for them. I mean that they will feed,
in many instances near the surface. The water below them might be 75 feet, but stripers
will attack bait closer to the surface. Key on shallow flats, points, and creek arms. Down
line fishing and float rigs work well this time of year.