After the thrilling chaos of the spawn, many anglers find themselves scratching their heads. Where did they go? That immediate post-spawn period can feel like a ghost town, but beneath the surface, a subtle and crucial transition is underway. Understanding this roughly three-week window right after the spawn, through June into summer, is key to consistent success.

The post-spawn period of early summer can be intimidating, but when anglers know what to look for, breaking down high-potential factors make it much more approachable. *Photo courtesy of Garrett Paquette.*

The initial phase right after smallmouth finish their spawning duties is often referred to as the post-spawn funk. For an awkward window of time, these fish are lethargic and less aggressive, simply because they're recovering from the immense physical demands of the spawn. They've poured all their energy into reproduction, and now it's time to recuperate. During this period, water temperatures are typically in the mid-60s to low 70s as the spawn winds down, influencing their slower metabolism. Remember that not all bass spawn at the exact same time, so you'll find fish in various stages of this recovery.

However, once they get back into their groove, a switch flips. Smallmouth bass will become ferociously hungry and aggressive, needing to replenish those depleted energy stores before summer patterns fully set in. This transition from recovery mode to ravenous feeding creates a prime, albeit sometimes challenging, opportunity for anglers.

Garrett Paquette is a professional bass angler from the great state of Michigan and is known for his wealth of smallmouth-catching skills and knowledge. He is no stranger to catching smallies that resemble the shape of a football across the northern states and into Canada. He breaks down the post-spawn period into two factors to primarily consider- shade and current.

Decoding Movements: Smallmouth Relating to Shade

As smallmouth recuperate and then begin to feed, their positioning becomes crucial. One primary factor dictating their location in early June is shade. Why shade? It offers vital security, a comfortable resting spot from bright sun, and, crucially, a prime ambush point for unsuspecting prey.

*“Think of post-spawn smallies being object-oriented. They want to recover and recuperate from the spawn”*

“Rocks and boulders, deeper and adjacent to spawning areas are the first things I look for post-spoawn on the great lakes for smallmouth bass.”

When it comes to shade, keep an eye out for objects and structure that will grant an opportunity to get away and out of the sun. Smallmouth bass want to recover from the spawn in privacy, hidden away and out of sight.

Clues are scattered all across the Great Lakes, giving away hiding spots where smallies are recuperating. Keep these items in mind, especially as they relate to one another:

Structure with a Vertical Profile: Large, isolated boulders, bridge pilings, or even submerged break walls create vertical shadows. An overlooked piece of structure that casts significant shade is tall vegetation, especially if it has grown all the way to the surface of the water column. These structures offer a "sense of security" and a thermal break in their shaded zones.
Docks & Marinas: Focus your attention on the darker, cooler areas directly under boat lifts, pontoons, or along seawalls that block direct sunlight. Lake St Clair is loaded with these areas, but it takes some knowledge to identify which ones are better than others.
Overhanging Cover: Pay close attention to tree limbs, dense brush, or eroded bank overhangs that cast significant shadows over the water.
Close to spawning areas: When looking for the best shady targets for post-spawn smallies, start by looking at deeper areas adjacent to where nesting has taken place.

A hair jig can be one of the most stealthy presentations that shines bright this time of year. Smallmouth bass have a hard time resisting the slow, subtle swimming action, especially on lakes with significant fishing pressure.

When fishing these areas, stealth and precise presentations are absolutely vital. A quiet approach and accurate cast into the shaded zone can make a huge difference. Paquette recommends using slow and steady finesse approaches, keeping baits like a drop shot rig, hair jig, and spy bait within reach.

Current Events: What to look for in moving water

Current plays an equally significant role in post-spawn smallmouth movements. There is a tremendous amount across the Great Lakes in major river systems, such as the St Clair or St. Lawrence River, or created by wind blowing across the lakes. But why current? It's a natural conveyor belt for food that delivers oxygenated water that predictably positions baitfish and transforming areas into ideal ambush points.

When searching for potential holding spots in current, look for cleanest bottom. What that means is A "clean bottom" in a river or lake refers to an area free of soft, silty muck and dominated by firm materials like sand, gravel, or rock. To the eyes, these spots might appear the water to be blue or even white. On your sonar unit graph, the bottom return will indicate if it is soft, like mud or sand, or harder, like rock or clay. Look for areas in current with a harder bottom. Paquette shares that a great indicator of pockets in current is finding beds of shells on the bottom. Rock, clay, and shell beds hold up well in these pockets is because this natural matter is solid, dense, and out of the current enough to not to be blown away. All forces coming together, it creates an ideal hangout spot for smallmouth bass to hunker down.

“Some fish immediately after spawning will head for current. They can be lazy and lay low, waiting for bait to be delivered to them.”

— Garrett Paquette

You'll often find current-loving smallmouth congregating in these productive spots with these characteristics:

River Channels & Creek Mouths: These are natural funnels for water flow and, consequently, baitfish. Smallmouth will stack up along the edges.
Points & Eddies: Wherever current sweeps around a land point or submerged structure, it creates seams and areas of slack water (eddies). These are prime holding zones where bass can wait for food to be delivered.
Bridge Pilings & Submerged Structures: Any obstacle that creates a current break will attract bass. They'll sit on the downstream side, out of the main flow, darting out to feed.

When fishing current, boat positioning is critical. You'll want to cast into the current seams if possible, often using baits that can be worked efficiently in the flow, such as swimbaits, tubes, ned rigs, spybaits, or damiki rigs.

Both shade and current are major influencing factors for post-spawn smallmouth bass. With the innovation and development of forward-facing sonar, anglers with this tool will not only be able to look and recognize if a fish is in a given area, but also see how they are reacting to certain baits and retrieves.

The Mayfly Factor: A Brief Bonanza to Consider

While often overlooked, the Mayfly hatch can be a game-changer in June. When these aquatic insects emerge by the thousands, often in the evenings, they represent a significant, high-protein food source for smallmouth. Bass will abandon their usual haunts and actively respond to a hatch, often suspending in the water column or moving into shallower areas to gorge on the emerging insects. What anglers overlook or forget is considering how this bite pattern can move with the wind to different areas of the lake. Within the three week window post-spawn, this can be an easy meal opportunity. Think of smallmouth bass as wanting to eat and be lazy- but they still have to go and get their food.

“Sometimes the buffet can be brought to them, while others they have to go get it themselves. The trick with smallmouth success is making the judgement call on where these fish will be during the post-spawn window”

This can be a short, intense feeding frenzy, offering a unique, albeit temporary, opportunity for anglers who recognize it. Keep an eye out for swirling water or surfacing insects, and consider throwing topwater lures or subsurface baits that imitate these readily available protein snacks. Paquette shares that he deploys the Spro E-pop as a top water popper-style bait to call them in for thunderous strikes on the surface. For a more stealthy approach, this can be one of the best opportunities to throw a hair jig- specifically a brown one.

The post-spawn period demands patience, observation, and a nuanced understanding of smallmouth bass behavior. While the initial "funk" might test your resolve, knowing that a period of aggressive feeding follows is key. Applying insights from and strategically targeting areas with ample shade and beneficial current flow will put you in the strike zone. And, always keep an eye out for that brief, explosive Mayfly hatch!

Armed with these tips, you're not just fishing; you're mastering the art of the craft, ready for that fish of a lifetime. Go forth, observe, adapt, and prepare for battle with a smallmouth bass of a lifetime as you solve what was the mystery that is the post-spawn period.

Foresight Fishing Media would like to acknowledge and thank Garret Paquette for sharing his knowledge and experience to share with others in this article. He fishes completitively in the Bassmaster Opens and various tournaments around the Great Lakes. When he is not competing, he offers guided bass fishing trips on Lake St Clair and Lake Erie for anglers looking to sharpen their skills and create memories to last a lifetime.

To follow him on social media, check out his Facebook page Garrett Paquette Fishing, and on Instagram @ GPaquetteFishing. Please consider supporting his sponsors; Spro Baits, Sunline, Big Bite Baits, Douglas Rods, Minnkota Motors, Humminbird Marine Electronics, Dakota Lithium Batteries, Aftco Performance Fishing Apparel, Gamakatsu Hooks, and more.

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