Heavy rain and cooling temps push fall transition at Choke Canyon

What anglers are reporting The last solid report was from late July. The lake has been sitting extremely low for an extended period, and ramp closures have restricted access mostly to shore-bound anglers. You must check the current ramp status at the state park units before hauling a boat down here. With the lack of recent on-the-water intel, we have to rely on seasonal patterns and this week's heavy weather to build a game plan.

This week's outlook We are looking at a major rain event early this week, with over four inches expected Monday along with strong northeast winds. This runoff will dump fresh, stained water into the creek arms and should trigger a strong fall feeding response once the weather stabilizes. The cooling trend will drop water temperatures into the upper 60s, which is prime time for shad to push back into the creeks around the Calliham area and Mason Point. Bass will be right behind them.

Where to start Focus on the backs of creek channels and any newly flooded shoreline cover where the runoff is entering the lake. The fresh water will create mudlines, and bass will use these edges to ambush bait. Look for submerged roadbeds and rocky points near the mouths of these creeks as staging areas. If the water rises enough to reach shoreline brush, flip those edges.

Bait box

• Squarebill crankbaits (chartreuse and black back)
• White and chartreuse spinnerbaits (Colorado and willow combo)
• Chatterbaits with a paddletail trailer
• Dark-colored flipping jigs (black and blue)
• Lipless crankbaits (chrome and blue)

This weekend The heavy rain clears out by midweek, leaving us with stable, mild conditions for the weekend. Highs will be in the mid-70s with manageable winds. The water will likely still be stained from the runoff, so stick to moving baits with some vibration and flash along those creek channel bends and mudlines. It should be a solid window to intercept fish feeding heavily on shad.