Fall Fishing in Iowa: What to Target, What to Use
The cooler fall mornings are always a welcome feeling after a long, hot summer. This time of year always excites me as the cooler temperatures get a few species fired up. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and walleye love the cooler temperatures and are ready to feed in area lakes and rivers. Let’s dive into some fall fishing tips, and baits that will fool these fish this time of the year.
Water Transitions
As the calendar turns to a different month our Iowa waterways are turning into something new as well. The colder temperatures are changing the environment of the fish in lakes and rivers around the state. The biggest and most noticeable change that is taking place right now is the water clarity. No matter if you are on the great lakes of Iowa in the northwest part of the state or the Mississippi River in the southeast part of the state, the water is getting cleaner by the day. This fact leads me to the first thing we need to adjust while fishing in the fall, our line.
As the water cleans up from the algae and plant life dying off, our line should become stealthier. I like to minimize the diameter of my line, especially with the slow-moving baits that I am using this time of year. All of my spinning rods will have a fluorocarbon leader with an 8-pound test line tied to my braided mainline. This will minimize the fish detecting your line in the clearer water. This goes for both the bass species and walleyes. If I need to throw a finesse jig for bass on a baitcaster, I will choose a 12-pound test line instead of the typical 15-pound test line in the summer. Of course, with the lighter line selection this time of year we want to frequently test our drags and keep those hooks sharp for easier penetration.
What Bait to Use?
Many baits will work this time of year. Water temperature plays a huge role in what the fish will want. If the water temperatures are warmer than fifty-five degrees, it is hard to beat a crankbait for walleyes and bass, another great bait is a spinnerbait for bass. As the water cools so should the action of your baits. Jerkbaits are a great bait to use as the temperatures continue to fall this time of year. They will catch bass and walleyes. When using jerkbaits, make sure you are changing up your time of pauses in between “jerks”. Many anglers work a jerkbait too fast, when pausing, let it sit for a full two seconds or even longer to entice fish to check it out.
The Bait for All
Another top bait for fall is a swimbait. This plastic minnow looking bait is great for all gamefish this time of year. The life-like profile of the bait is a perfect target for hungry fish. Some swimbaits come with a jighead and hook built into the bait right out of the package. These are fine, however I like to use a jighead and rig the plastic on myself. I can quickly change the color of the bait and more importantly this time of year, the size of the bait. I typically start with a 1/4oz jighead and let the environment tell me whether I need to go heavier or lighter. Windy conditions are better suited for heavier jigs, making them easier to use and allowing you to make a long cast to your target. If you are fishing in current areas of a river a heavier jighead might be necessary as well. You want just enough weight to gently drag the swimbait along the bottom of the river while not getting snagged. If you are getting a lot of snags, then lighten up your jig weight. Calm days, or while fishing where there is no current, you will want to use the lightest jighead you can to get your bait in the target zone. Again, you must make long casts this time of year to generate as many bites as you can. I use a seven-foot spinning combo for the swimbait presentations. A medium power rod is best for jigs lighter than 1/4oz and a medium/heavy power rod for heavier jigs. Just like with the jerkbait, vary your retrieve and your stopping times to maximize your bites.
My go to Fall Jig
Another bait that I will always have tied on in the fall is a small bass jig. Smallmouth and largemouth bass love jigs, however, I have found out that using a smaller version in the fall will produce more bites. I like to use a seven-foot, three-inch medium heavy casting rod when using a finesse jig this time of year. I can make long casts with a 1/4oz jig and still have the power I need to set the hook on those long casts. This bait is similar to the swimbait as you want to vary speeds on the retrieve. Warmer water days you can move through your target areas quickly, and then on the colder days you can slowly drag it along the bottom of the lake or river. Just like with the swimbait, vary the size of the jig so you can cover the area while not getting too many snags in the current. One last tip for the finesse jig, always use a plastic trailer. This can allow you to add needed color to your jig and it allows you a little more mass to make longer casts. Curl tails, craw legs, or a small paddle tail all make good trailers for these small jigs.
Conclusion
Fall is my favorite time of the year to fish for bass and walleyes. They are oftentimes found on the same rocky areas of the lake or river, and they share the same appetite of smaller fish and crawdads. If you can think stealthy, vary your lure speed and make changes to color patterns you will have a great season of fall fishing for bass and walleye. Enjoy this nice fall weather while you can!
by Ben Leal
September 2025
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