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Smallmouth bass are typically the first of the bass family to move into shallow water to spawn, normally when the surface temperature reaches the low 60s. In lakes with rocky substrate and cool water, they will spawn at depths up to 25 feet.
Smallmouth bass are native to many of the streams flowing throughout the South and Midwest, providing an excellent opportunity for anglers. When fishing for these scrappy fighters, always make your way upstream when wading. Otherwise, your footsteps will kick up silt, mud and debris on the bottom, spooking these wary fish. However, don't be frustrated if your presence spooks smaller stream dwellers such as crawfish and sculpins. Their escape signals their location to the predator smallmouth, oftentimes triggering a feeding frenzy that might include your carefully placed bait or lure.
Smallmouths relate to larger structures such as main-lake points, humps and submerged rockpiles. They tend to avoid the upper sections of larger tributaries, favoring the depth and abrupt contour variations of the lower lake.
Smallmouths relate to gravel flats, especially during the springtime spawning season. Flats with small isolated weed patches or a stump or two are better smallmouth spawning habitat than those with lots of cover.
Smallmouths gravitate to rock ledges, or places with a series of depth changes or "stair steps" to deep water. These short ledges are often located along 45-degree rock banks or rock bluffs. Smallmouths will sit on these ledges at their comfort zone (often 15-25 feet), or suspend over them.
Smallmouths gravitate to rock, especially where one size or type changes to another. In clear lakes, these serve as magnets for smallmouths. Examples are fist-size rock changing to head-size rock; head-size rock changing to gravel. Often, nearly every smallmouth on a long expanse of bank will gravitate to this type of rocky transition.
Source Orlando Wilson
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