Fishing at night can be a magical experience. The cool night air, the sound of crickets, and the pull of a fish on your line under a starry sky is tough to beat for many anglers. But what fish are really biting after dark?
Read on and we’ll uncover the top species you can target once the sun goes down.
The Best Night Biting Fish Species
Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass are one of the most popular game fish that feed aggressively at night. These fierce predators use their excellent night vision and sensitivity to vibrations to ambush prey in low light conditions.
Under the cover of darkness, largemouths will strike readily at plugs, spinnerbaits, soft plastic baits, and even topwater lures. Many anglers have great success fishing for lunker bass near fallen trees, docks, and other structural cover after the sun goes down.
For those seeking trophy bass, nighttime offers prime opportunities to hook into the lunker of a lifetime!
Catfish
Catfish are well known as one of the best fish species to target after dark. Channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish all become more active once the sun sets. Their superb senses allow them to effectively hunt down forage in murky low light conditions.
Channel cats will hit liver, live bait, prepared baits, and even artificial lures like crankbaits after dark. Flatheads prefer live bait like bluegill, while blue cats love fresh cut bait. Focus on outside river bends, humps, drop-offs, dams, and other structure to connect with catfish after sunset.
Just be ready for explosive strikes when that big cat inhales your bait in the dead of night!
Walleye
Walleyes are revered by anglers for being active feeders after dark. These iconic fish use their sensitive eyes and whiskers to detect and ambush unsuspecting prey in low light. Drifting or trolling with stick baits, crankbaits, spinners, and live nightcrawlers over rocky points, gravel flats, and breaklines around dusk can produce incredible walleye action.
During the warmest months, walleyes often move to deeper offshore structure and open water feeding grounds to hunt under the cover of darkness. With abundant forage like shad and yellow perch roaming around at night, walleyes take full advantage to pack on weight for the coming winter ahead.
Crappie
Delicious crappie are a favorite catch for nighttime panfish enthusiasts. When the sun goes down, schools of slab crappie rise up from their deep-water haunts and head for shallow feeding grounds. Pitching jigs and small minnow imitations around boat docks, brush piles, flooded timber, and submerged weedlines is an extremely effective after-hours crappie tactic.
Under the glow of fishing lights, anglers can catch loads of feisty crappies by casting to baitfish concentrations. From spring to fall, productive nighttime crappie bites happen across many lake, reservoirs, and river systems nationwide.
Carp
Night fishing is a prime time to connect with big carp in many freshwater fisheries. Under cover of darkness, common carp and grass carp cruise shallow flats and shorelines looking for an easy meal. Baits like whole kernel corn, dough balls, and boiled rice fished on the bottom are irresistible carp candy.
Focus on mud bottom flats near vegetation, and fish just far enough out to cover water 2-4 feet deep. Use glow sticks on the rod so you can see any subtle bites. Once hooked up, be prepared for a strong fight from these powerful swimmers! You just may land the fish of a lifetime after dark.
Why Fish Become More Active at Night
Lower Light Levels
Many fish species become more active at night when light levels are lower. Their prey also become more active under the cover of darkness. With lower visibility, prey fish and crustaceans feel less vulnerable venturing out into open waters.
This gives predatory fish like bass, walleye, and catfish greater feeding opportunities after dusk.
Daily Cycles
Fish have biological clocks that regulate their metabolism and behaviors over a 24-hour cycle. This circadian rhythm prompts many species to hunt more aggressively at night when their senses and reflexes are naturally heightened. Their peak time for feeding often coincides with lower light levels.
Higher Oxygen Levels
Oxygen levels in water typically rise at night as plants stop photosynthesis and release oxygen into the water rather than consuming it. Higher oxygen concentration enables fish to breathe and function more efficiently.
Their improved aerobic capacity allows fish to be more energetic and feed actively in the dark.
Cooler Water Temperatures
Water temperature drops after sundown as heat radiates into the atmosphere. Cooler water holds more dissolved oxygen. Lower temperatures also stimulate metabolism in many fish species, making them more inclined to feed aggressively at night.
Trout and walleye are especially prone to nighttime feeding when temperatures dip.
Night Fishing Tips and Strategies
Use Bright Baits and Lures
When fishing at night, it’s crucial to use baits and lures that are highly visible. Fish rely more on sight and vibration detection when darkness reduces visibility. Popular bright lure choices are glow-in-the-dark lures, UV reactive lures, and LED lights.
Studies show that UV wavelengths attract fish effectively at night (see reference). Also, try tipping jigs with bright plastics in white, chartreuse, pink, or orange.
Fish Slowly and Methodically
It’s important to slow down your presentation when night fishing. Fish are more cautious in the dark and less likely to chase fast-moving baits. Go with slower retrieves of lures, lighter jig heads, slower-drifting live baits, and slower-fished soft plastics.
Also, methodically fish all promising spots and structure, rather than quickly moving around. Fish are concentrated in prime areas at night. Precision and thoroughness pays off.
Focus on Structure
Target structured areas like drop-offs, flats, channels, points, and ledges around dusk. Studies show that many fish species move from their daytime homes into shallower feeding areas at night (see reference). Shallow structure near drop-offs is prime real estate for nighttime biters.
Consider areas with depth changes or structure that provides ambush points and current breaks.
Use Scented Bait
Scented baits are excellent for night fishing according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (reference). Fish depend more on scent detection when visibility is low. Good options include shrimp, crabs, shad, menhaden, mullet, and other oily fishes.
Consider fishing live, fresh cut bait, or scented soft plastics. Tip: Adding Pro-Cure or other bait scents to lures can also help.
Go Early and Stay Late
Target the transition period an hour before and after sunset or sunrise. This is when fish become active preparing to hunt or feeding. Low-light periods allow fish to adjust while still providing sufficient visibility for feeding.
Early and late timing also often correlates with tidal movements that position fish. Arrive before other anglers to claim the best spots. Consider staying through the night if permitted, and you can manage the late hours.
Best Baits for Night Fishing
Live Nightcrawlers
Nightcrawlers are most likely the best bait to use when fishing at night. Their movement and scent attract fish easily even in low light conditions. Thread a nightcrawler onto a hook and drift or slowly reel it along the bottom next to structure.
Nightcrawlers work well for catching catfish, walleye, trout, bass, carp, and more after dark.
Cut Bait
Using chunks of cut up baitfish is another excellent way to catch fish once the sun goes down. Channel catfish go crazy for pieces of cut shad, skipjack herring, sunfish, carp, and other oily baitfish. Cut the bait into 1-2 inch chunks and thread them on a hook.
Let them drift near the bottom or slowly drag them along structures. Target catfish, eels, carp, sturgeon, and other scavengers with cut bait at night.
Large Glide Baits
Big glide baits that imitate wounded baitfish are amazing lures for trophy-sized gamefish at night. Cast out a 6-10 inch glide bait like a Huddleston or River2Sea Swaver over structures and reel it back erratically.
The loud disturbance will draw out lunker bass, pike, muskies, stripers, and even trout looking for an easy meal. Work these baits slowly, letting them glide and kick side to side.
Topwater Lures
Waking surface lures after dark can lead to some heart-stopping topwater strikes. Poppers, walk-the-dog lures like Zara Spooks, and buzzbaits are all solid choices. The splashing and commotion kicks the predatory instincts of fish into overdrive.
Target areas near structure and focus on any surface activity to catch bass, pike, striped bass, walleye, trout, and more with these exciting nighttime lures.
Soft Plastics
Simple soft plastic lures like plastic worms, creature baits, flukes, and craws produce plenty of nighttime action. Using scented soft plastics enhances success after dark when visibility is low. Fish them Texas-rigged, wacky rigged, on jigheads, or weightless based on depth.
Letting them sink near structure before slowly retrieving or twitching them works well. Soft plastics catch all types of gamefish species after the sun sets.
As you can see, live bait like nightcrawlers along with cut bait and large glide baits excel for night fishing success. Topwater lures can also be extremely effective in low light. And simple soft plastic lures should not be overlooked after dark when targeting just about every gamefish species there is.
Adjust your baits and tactics based on fish species, but this covers the best all-around baits and lures to try for your next after hours fishing mission!
Conclusion
Night fishing allows you to experience the lake or river from a whole new perspective. The reduced fishing pressure and active night time feedings of many popular game fish give you an excellent opportunity to land some hogs. Just remember to stick to proven after-dark tactics and baits. Tight lines!
