How to Fish Knife Lake: Best Patterns & Techniques | Omnia Fishing

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Knife Lake

Published: Nov 1, 2018Updated: May 12, 2025

Table of Contents

Spring Fishing Patterns on Knife Lake

Season	Species	Water Temp	Behavioral Patterns	Key Locations	Best Techniques	Forage Types	Bait Colors
Spring (Pre-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	58-65	Female bass are aggressively feeding on crawfish in slightly deeper water, while males are establishing spawning territories along the shoreline Fish are transitioning between winter and spawning areas, using rock and wood cover as staging points	Rocky areas and river channels in 6-8 foot depth range where crawfish are active Shallow shoreline areas with new growing grass and wood cover Transition areas between deep water and spawning flats	Finesse Jigs worked slowly around rocky areas and wood cover Wacky Rigs worked along shoreline areas for spawning males Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around shallow cover and vegetation	Crawfish emerging from winter areas and becoming more active Bluegill in shallow areas near new vegetation growth	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Purple Colors
Spring (Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	58-68	Pre-spawn to spawning bass moving shallow, actively feeding and preparing beds in protected areas Males aggressively defending nesting areas while females stage on nearby points and transition areas	Wind-blown points and shallow rip rap banks as noted in recent reports Protected shallow coves with hard bottom for spawning Shallow wood cover and laydowns near spawning flats	Finesse Jigs as confirmed effective in recent reports Spinnerbaits on wind-blown banks as recently successful Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) around shallow cover	Bluegills as evidenced by recent successful bait patterns Crawfish becoming active in shallow rocky areas	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Bold Striped Patterns
Spring (Post-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	62-72	Post-spawn bass are transitioning from spawning areas to early summer patterns, holding on offshore structure in 6-8ft range Fish are actively feeding but prefer slow presentations as they recover from spawning activity Bass are utilizing both shallow cover (matted grass, lily pads) and deeper hard structure (offshore wood, laydowns)	Offshore wood and laydowns over hard bottom in 6-8ft of water Matted grass and lily pad fields Transition areas between spawning flats and deeper water	Finesse Jigs worked slowly around wood structure Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) for working thick cover Frogs/Toads for matted vegetation Structure Jigs for offshore wood	Crawfish holding around hard bottom and wood structure Bluegills beginning to spawn in shallow vegetation	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Purple Colors

Summer Fishing Patterns

Season	Species	Water Temp	Behavioral Patterns	Key Locations	Best Techniques	Forage Types	Bait Colors
Summer	Largemouth Bass	72-75	Actively feeding in and around thick vegetation, particularly during early morning and evening hours Moving to deeper, shaded areas like docks during bright midday periods Utilizing rock piles and hard bottom areas as secondary feeding zones	Matted grass and lily pad fields in shallow water Boat docks providing shade during midday Rock piles and hard bottom areas in 6-8 foot depth range	Frogs/Toads worked with walking action over matted vegetation Wacky Rigs worked around docks Finesse Jigs dragged through rocky areas	Bluegill concentrated in vegetation Crawfish active on rocky bottom areas	Dark Neutrals Purple Colors Vibrant Craw Colors

Fall Fishing Guide for Knife Lake

Season	Species	Water Temp	Behavioral Patterns	Key Locations	Best Techniques	Forage Types	Bait Colors
Fall	Largemouth Bass	62-68	Bass are actively feeding on bluegills and minnows around docks and wood structure, showing aggressive behavior towards noise-making baits in the stained water conditions Fish are transitioning between shallow feeding areas and deeper holding areas as water temperatures cool, utilizing timber and rock as staging points	Docks with adjacent weed lines, particularly on the east side of the lake Timber and rock transitions in 6-8 foot depth range Protected coves with woody cover and matted vegetation	Bladed Jigs worked around timber and rock with an erratic retrieve to trigger reaction strikes in stained water Tubes worked slowly around docks and weed edges with a deadstick presentation Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip) targeting thick cover and dock posts	Bluegills concentrated around dock areas and vegetation Minnows relating to timber and rock structure	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Bold Striped Patterns

Key Seasonal Structures in Knife Lake

Season	Species	Primary Structure	Secondary Structure
Spring (Pre-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Rocky areas and river channels in 6-8 foot depth range where crawfish are active	Shallow shoreline areas with new growing grass and wood cover
Spring (Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Wind-blown points and shallow rip rap banks as noted in recent reports	Protected shallow coves with hard bottom for spawning
Spring (Post-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Offshore wood and laydowns over hard bottom in 6-8ft of water	Matted grass and lily pad fields
Summer	Largemouth Bass	Matted grass and lily pad fields in shallow water	Boat docks providing shade during midday
Fall	Largemouth Bass	Docks with adjacent weed lines, particularly on the east side of the lake	Timber and rock transitions in 6-8 foot depth range

Primary Forage by Season

Season	Species	Primary Forage	Secondary Forage
Spring (Pre-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Crawfish emerging from winter areas and becoming more active	Bluegill in shallow areas near new vegetation growth
Spring (Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Bluegills as evidenced by recent successful bait patterns	Crawfish becoming active in shallow rocky areas
Spring (Post-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Crawfish holding around hard bottom and wood structure	Bluegills beginning to spawn in shallow vegetation
Summer	Largemouth Bass	Bluegill concentrated in vegetation	Crawfish active on rocky bottom areas
Fall	Largemouth Bass	Bluegills concentrated around dock areas and vegetation	Minnows relating to timber and rock structure

Bait Colors by Season for Knife Lake

Season	Species	Bait Colors
Spring (Pre-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Purple Colors
Spring (Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Bold Striped Patterns
Spring (Post-Spawn)	Largemouth Bass	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Purple Colors
Summer	Largemouth Bass	Dark Neutrals Purple Colors Vibrant Craw Colors
Fall	Largemouth Bass	Dark Neutrals Vibrant Craw Colors Bold Striped Patterns

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