As winter approaches, many fishermen resign themselves to the armchair until spring. For lucky anglers who live near a hot water power plant lake, however, the water never freezes, and the fishing need never stop.

 Power plant lakes, such as Lake Norman in North Carolina, provide year-round warm water bass fishing. Will Petty, a promising tournament professional and 2006 Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship qualifier, calls the lake home.

Preparing his boat for launch, Petty explains, "A hot water lake doubles as a cooling pond for power plants. The water around the discharge — or hot hole — is often 10 to 20 degrees warmer than in surrounding lakes. These areas harbor more forage, the bass are more aggressive, and they offer great fishing opportunities in the dead of winter."

Despite the frigid morning air, Will puts the boat on plane and heads to a barrier that prevents access to the plant. The water temperature here is 82 degrees.

 

"In the vicinity of the discharge," he says, throwing a buzzbait toward a school of spotted bass busting shad, "I look for current breaks, like points, stumps, dropoffs, bridge pilings, laydowns and current seams. In discharge lakes, there is a large volume of moving water. Outside of the hot hole, I fish ambush points like I would on any other lake."

 Because power plants are drawing and releasing water, there is current flow all year. Find the best cover near the current, and that's where the dominant predators will be hiding. Since the current and cover near hot holes are sometimes community holes, finesse presentations such as the shaky head can be productive.

"Baits like Big Bite Squirrel Tail worms can be deadly. Flip it to the current break and let it drift past. A bass will inhale it as it passes, just like river fishing."

 

As more boats move into the area, Will picks up the trolling motor and starts to idle away from the pack. He explains that one feature of a hot lake is that, "the influx of warm water affects most of the lake, not just the hot hole. The warmer water can influence fishing for miles. Find the right temperature and cover, find the fish."

 The cold morning air comes with the promise of an Indian summer day as Petty pulls into a cove lined with docks. The water temperature here is 70 degrees.

"It'll be time to shuck this coat soon," he says, grabbing a cranking combo and Spro Little John crankbait. "When the pressure gets too great where I'm fishing, I just move out to areas with a little cooler water. Sometimes that's where the biggest bass are anyway. They'll bully the smaller bass away all year.

"Docks near deep water can be great, especially if you can locate the dredged docks with your graph. Deep docks can hold the best bass in a cove."

As he sets the hook on a keeper, Will offers another observation about hot lakes, "Because of the temperature difference, you can perfect different techniques all year. You can throw crankbaits in warm water or find water temperatures in the mid 40s to low 50s where the baitfish are dying, and fish jerkbaits. There's no end to the possibilities"

 

 Will Petty covered fishing the hot water discharge area of power plant lakes, then relocating when the angler pressure increases.

 By mid-day, the air temperature on our outing has reached an unseasonably warm 60 degrees. Free of his coat, Petty fishes a series of deep ledges and rock nearly a half mile from the discharge area where the surface temperature of the water is still 72 degrees.

"A football jig like this 3/8-ounce Jewell with a Paca Chunk trailer can load the boat on a hot lake."

Slowly hopping and dragging the jig across the rock below, he pauses when he contacts a rock to shake the line. This technique imitates a crawfish searching for cover.

Will sets the hook on a chunky 3-pound spot from 20 feet deep.

"They fight like crazy," he says, "but be sure to release them quickly or know how to fizz them. Fish from deep water can have a hard time surviving."

Idling over a shoal in the afternoon, Petty explains that he's looking for feeding schools of spotted bass. The water temperature is 63 degrees.

 

 "There's not always surface activity to indicate feeding. The best thing to do is get comfortable with your graph. Learn what it can do and use it as a tool."

He quickly finds an elusive school and trolls the boat over it.

"I like to use a white Dave's jigging spoon in a situation like this. That school is on fire," he exclaims dropping the jig and working it vertically. "Just lift and drop the spoon on a semi-slack line. Don't let it free fall or you'll miss the strike. With a really good graph, you see the fish come up and eat it."

In all, thirteen spotted bass are plucked from that one school.

The last stop of the day was a dock in 55-degree water.

"Like all lakes, hot lakes have brushpiles. This dock has a good one in 10 feet of water off the corner."

The angler tosses a white soft jerkbait with a 5/0 offset worm hook past the brushpile and retrieves it in short pulls. Suddenly, the line grows tight and the rod bows!

"This is a monster spot," Petty shouts, and the fight is on. "Holy cow! Look at that thing," he says as the bass surrenders to the inevitable.

"There's nothing like hot lake fishing. Nothing," Will remarks, releasing the bass after a quick photo.

Power plant lakes will produce all year long, not just when it's cold.

According to Will Petty, "A hot lake fishes a little bit like a river. Find the best current breaks and the best water temperatures, and you'll find fish. I've been in tournaments when the air temperature was 20 degrees but the water was 60 degrees, and I caught a ton of fish. Search the water, match the forage for that temperature and find the best cover. You will find the fish."