March Bass Fishing
Month · water 55–64°F
March is peak pre-spawn in Central Texas, with water climbing into the upper 50s and 60s. Bass stage heavily and the earliest fish begin spawning, so both numbers and size take off. Reaction baits, jigs and soft plastics all produce — one of the best months of the year.
Why: Prime pre-spawn — the year hits its stride.
Evidence: Verified knowledge from Bryan Cotter, 26+ years guiding all 16 Central Texas lakes.
Related: Lake Travis · Lake Austin · Bass fishing by season
Verified Answered by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs guide · Updated Jul 12, 2026
The pattern
Peak pre-spawn staging with the first spawners moving shallow.
Where the bass are: Points, secondary points and the outer edges of spawning pockets and flats.
What they're doing: Aggressive and feeding heavily; the biggest females staging to spawn.
March at a glance
- Type
- Month
- Months
- Mar
- Water temp
- 55–64°F
- Spawn phase
- Prespawn
How to fish it
Go-to techniques: Squarebill Cranking, Chatterbait (Bladed Jig), Jerkbait, Texas Rig, Flipping & Pitching.
Best lures: Squarebill Crankbait, Chatterbait / Bladed Jig, Lipless Crankbait, Creature Bait, Senko / Stickbait.
Best lakes right now
Lake Travis · Lake Austin · Lake Falcon · Lake O.H. Ivie · Canyon Lake
Conditions in play
What to expect
The bite really turns on — big fish and good numbers, with sight-fishing starting on the clear lakes.
Common mistakes
- Committing too early to sight-fishing when most fish are still staging
- Fishing too fast past the staging points
Keep exploring
All seasons & months · Bass fishing calendar · Conditions · Central Texas bass fishing guide
Want to fish March with a guide who knows the pattern? See rates and book or call 512-762-0190.