The 7 Best Fall Bass Fishing Lures

Table of Contents

• Bass Fishing In The Fall
• Best Bass Lures For Fall
• Crankbaits
• Jigs
• Spinnerbaits
• Jerkbaits
• Topwater Lures
• Lipless Cranks
• Soft Plastics
• Weather Impact On Fall Bass Fishing
• Best Fall Bass Fishing Lures Overview

Bass Fishing In The Fall

Bass fishing in the fall is one of my favorite times of year for fishing, and it requires a very different approach than summer fishing. As water temperatures cool, bass behavior shifts dramatically, turning lakes and rivers into feeding grounds as bass prepare for the leaner months of winter. Understanding these seasonal changes is key to choosing the best fall baits and fishing lures and consistently putting fish in the boat.

During the summer, bass often hold tight to shady cover, deeper structure, and thick vegetation to escape the heat. Their feeding windows can be short, with many anglers relying on slow presentations or topwater baits in low-light conditions. Fall is the opposite. Dropping water temperatures trigger a migration of baitfish like shad and bluegill into the shallows, and bass follow in aggressive pursuit. This is when reaction-style presentations and carefully chosen fall bass fishing lures can yield explosive action.

Another important characteristic of fall bass fishing is variability. Early fall can still fish like summer, with bass scattered and somewhat sluggish, but as temperatures decline into the 50s and 60s, fish become more predictable. They group up, chase bait schools, and strike aggressively to bulk up before winter. By late fall, as the water dips further, bass often slide deeper again, favoring slower-moving or finesse-oriented baits. Knowing how to match your lure choice to these transitions makes the difference between a frustrating day and setting a new PB!

So, what are bass eating in the fall? In my experience, predominantly baitfish. Shad, minnows, bluegill, and even small perch dominate their diets. In certain regions, crawfish remain on the menu, especially around rocky transitions and creek channels. If you are local to us and fishing the Rocky River, a live crawfish or crawfish imitation could do you very well. This diet shift means that fall bass baits designed to imitate fleeing or wounded forage, such as crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater lures, are some of the most effective options an angler can throw.

In short, the fall season is about feeding frenzies, moving baits, and capitalizing on the natural instincts of bass to fatten up before winter. By understanding how bass behave differently in fall compared to summer, and by matching your presentation to what they are feeding on, you’ll be equipped to choose the best bass lures for fall and maximize your success on the water. For a great breakdown of common misconceptions of fall bass behavior check out the article from wired2fish.

Best Bass Lures For Fall

When it comes to catching bass in the fall, lure selection is everything. Cooling water temperatures push baitfish into shallow creeks, points, and flats, and bass follow aggressively. From my bass fishing experience, best fall bass lures are those that either imitate this natural forage or trigger reaction strikes from feeding schools. While each category of bait shines in different situations, these seven proven lure types consistently produce strikes throughout the fall season:

• Crankbaits – An all time classic, perfect for covering water and imitating schools of shad or minnows, especially around rocky banks and shallow flats.
• Jigs – A versatile option that excels when bass hold near structure or transition zones, mimicking crawfish and bottom forage.
• Spinnerbaits – One of my personal favorites, excellent in stained water and low-light conditions, spinnerbaits flash and thump like fleeing baitfish.
• Jerkbaits – Deadly in clear water, suspending jerkbaits imitate wounded baitfish and trigger aggressive strikes during feeding frenzies.
• Topwater Lures – From walking baits to poppers, topwater excels when bass push baitfish to the surface, creating explosive strikes, especially in shallower waters.
• Lipless Crankbaits – Great for burning across flats or yo-yoing off points, these lures cover water quickly and call in schooling bass.
• Soft Plastics – Finesse worms, flukes, and creature baits shine in tougher conditions when bass demand a slower, more subtle presentation.

Crankbaits for Fall Bass Fishing

Crankbaits are a fall staple because they perfectly imitate schools of baitfish that bass chase into shallow creeks and flats. As the water cools, bass feed heavily on shad and minnows, making crankbaits one of the best ways to “match the hatch.” Their wobbling, darting action triggers both feeding and reaction strikes, especially when deflected off rocks, stumps, or submerged grass.

• How To Fish Them: Use square-bill crankbaits around shallow cover (2–6 ft) early in the fall, then switch to medium-diving models (8–12 ft) as bass slide deeper later in the season. Deflecting the bait off structure is key to drawing reaction strikes.
• Best Conditions: Clear to lightly stained water, rocky points, shallow riprap, and creek mouths where baitfish school.
• Popular Fall Colors: Shad patterns (white, silver, pearl), chartreuse/blue back in stained water, and crawfish red/orange in late fall.
• Fin Feather Fur Favorite: One of the most popular fall crankbaits is the Strike King KVD 1.5 Crankbait which is available is a slew of elite fall colors from sexy shad to a natural bream you are sure to match the hatch of your local bait fish.

Jigs for Fall Bass Fishing

Jigs are one of the most versatile and consistent fall bass lures, especially when bass transition from chasing baitfish to bottom forage like crawfish. In early fall, swimming a jig through shallow grass mimics fleeing baitfish, while later in the season dragging or hopping a football jig along rocky points imitates crawfish perfectly.

• How To Fish Them: Swim jigs through submerged vegetation, flip and pitch around wood cover, or drag a football jig along deeper rocky transitions.
• Best Conditions: When bass are holding tight to cover or when colder water slows their activity and bottom presentations become more effective.
• Popular Fall Colors: Green pumpkin, brown/orange (crawfish), black/blue in stained water, and shad-colored trailers for swim jigs.
• Fin Feather Fur Favorite: The Dirty Jigs Finesse Swim Jig is a versatile jig that can swim through the water or bounce off the bottom in weights of 1/4oz, 3/8oz, and 5/16oz and colors of bluegill, crappies, black and blue, and green pumpkin you can find whatever jig you need for your fall bass fishing

Spinnerbaits

Now I may be biased, because this is my favorite lure of all time, but few lures cover water and draw strikes like spinnerbaits in the fall. Their flashing blades and thumping vibration imitate pods of baitfish perfectly, especially when bass are chasing schools in the backs of creeks. Spinnerbaits also excel in windy conditions, dirty water, or low-light situations when visibility is reduced.

• How To Fish Them: Slow-roll around laydowns, burn them across flats, or bump them along rocky banks. Willow blades are best in clear water, while Colorado or Indiana blades shine in murkier water.
• Best Conditions: Cloudy, windy days when baitfish are active and scattered across shallow flats or creek channels.
• Popular Fall Colors: White/chartreuse, shad patterns (silver blades), and gold blades in stained or muddy water.
• Fin Feather Fur Favorite: One of my favorite versions of my favorite lure is the Strike King Tour Grade Compact Double Willow Spinnerbait with beautiful swimming action, and a wide variation of colors, you can not go wrong throwing this lure.

Jerkbaits for Fall Bass Fishing

My second favorite fishing lure to throw, when the water cools and clears in mid-to-late fall, suspending jerkbaits are one of the most effective lures for schooling bass. Their darting side-to-side action imitates wounded or dying baitfish, and the ability to pause the bait keeps it in the strike zone longer, perfect for lethargic fish.

• How To Fish Them: Cast near bait balls or points, then use a twitch-pause retrieve. The colder the water, the longer the pause should be.
• Best Conditions: Clear water, especially on sunny days with schooling bass visible near the surface or holding along steep banks.
• Popular Fall Colors: Natural shad (silver, white, translucent), clown (chrome/red head) on bright days, and darker hues like ghost minnow or ayu in clear water.
• Fin Feather Fur Favorite: This may be a run of the mill answer, but being one of the original creators of jerkbaits, the Rapala Shadow Rap Jerkbait has climbed the ladder on almost all lists of jerkbaits, this one is as good as it gets. Fill your tackle box with all the variations of sizes and colors to match the hatch and land some PB fall bass.

Fall Bass Topwater Lures

Fall is prime time for topwater explosions, as bass herd baitfish schools toward the surface. Walking baits, poppers, and buzzbaits are all excellent tools when bass are actively chasing in the shallows or pushing bait against riprap or grass edges. The surface disturbance draws violent reaction strikes and makes for some of the most exciting fishing of the year.

• How To Fish Them: Use walking baits (spooks) to mimic fleeing shad across flats, poppers to imitate feeding activity in tighter pockets, and buzzbaits in low-light or windy conditions.
• Best Conditions: Early morning, late evening, or overcast days with baitfish activity visible near the surface.
• Popular Fall Colors: Bone white, chrome/black back, shad, and dark colors like black for low-light or stained water.
• Fin Feather Fur Favorite: An iconic topwater lure to throw in fall in the morning with calm water is the Whopper Plopper, specifically the River2Sea Whopper Plopper is a sturdy topwater bait that stirs up big bites all fall.

Lipless Crankbaits for Fall Bass Fishing

Lipless crankbaits shine in the fall because they can be fished fast over large areas to locate schooling fish. Their tight vibration and rattling sound mimic baitfish while covering water quickly. They’re deadly on flats, points, and over submerged grass where bass corral baitfish.

• How To Fish Them: Burn across shallow flats, yo-yo off ledges or points, or rip through grass to trigger strikes.
• Best Conditions: When bass are chasing bait aggressively in mid-depths, especially in stained or windy conditions.
• Popular Fall Colors: Chrome/blue back, red craw (late fall), gold/black back in stained water, and sexy shad for clear conditions.
• Fin Feather Fur Favorite: Another elite option is the 6th Sense Quake 80 Suspending Lipless Crankbait, with realistic colors and patterns, you can match the hatch and perfectly imitate an injured baitfish causing a massive fall bass strike.

Fishing Soft Plastics For Fall Bass

While fast-moving baits dominate fall, soft plastics are essential for when bass get finicky or the bite slows down in late fall. Worms, flukes, tubes, and creature baits can all be rigged to match conditions, from weightless presentations around schools to bottom-dragging rigs when fish retreat deeper.

• How To Fish Them: Drop-shot or wacky rig finesse worms in clear water, Texas-rig creature baits around wood and grass, or throw soft jerkbaits like flukes into feeding schools.
• Best Conditions: Calm, high-pressure days, late fall cold fronts, or when bass key in on subtle forage.
• Popular Fall Colors: Natural baitfish tones (pearl, silver, watermelon), green pumpkin for craw imitators, and black/blue in stained water.
• Fin Feather Fur Favorite: With so much variation in the world of soft plastics what do you choose? Well in the fall some of the best options you can do are a soft plastic swimbait to mimic baitfish or a plastic senko like the Zoom Trick Worm to imitate bait bouncing on the bottom.

Weather Impact On Fall Bass Fishing

Water temperature is a primary driver of bass behavior, especially in fall. As temps drop, bass metabolism slows, their movement patterns change, and their feeding windows become more predictable. Here’s how temperature impacts lure choice and how to adapt:

Best Fall Bass Fishing Lures Overview

Fall is one of the most rewarding seasons to chase bass, and the right lure can make all the difference. From the aggressive flash of a spinnerbait to the subtle pause of a jerkbait, each of these best fall bass lures plays a unique role in matching seasonal bass behavior. Crankbaits and lipless cranks help you cover water quickly when fish are schooling, while jigs and soft plastics shine when bass hunker down near cover or in colder conditions. Topwater baits deliver the thrill of explosive strikes when shad are pushed to the surface, and jerkbaits round out the arsenal with a lifelike, irresistible action in clear water. By understanding not only what bass are eating, but also how cooling temperatures influence their feeding habits, you’ll be ready to adapt, experiment, and stay one step ahead of the fish. With these proven fall bass fishing lures in your tackle box, every trip has the potential to be your best day of the season. If you have any questions please feel free to contact our expert bass fishing team.

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