Skip to content
Bield:Fish
Regional spawn calendar

Southern Plains / Ozark / Arkansas River System spawn calendar.

14 species with documented spawn timing in Southern Plains / Ozark / Arkansas River System. Spawn timing is driven by water temperature — these calendar windows reflect the typical years when water reaches each species' threshold.

Spawning now — May

  • Largemouth Bass
    Mid-March – Mid-May

    Bedding largemouth bass are highly vulnerable to angling stress — they are physiologically committed to nest defense and will continue to attack lures even when exhausted. Catch an…

  • Smallmouth Bass
    Mid-April – Late May

    Smallmouth bass nest abandonment causes complete egg/fry mortality from invertebrate predation within hours. Repeated catch and release of nest-guarding males during peak spawn can…

  • Black Crappie
    Late March – Mid-May

    Crappie are highly catchable during spawn — visible bedding fish in 1–3 ft of water are easy to target. Many anglers practice voluntary harvest restraint during peak spawn weeks; s…

  • Channel Catfish
    Late May – Late July

    Channel catfish reproduce successfully in most waters and populations are robust. No widespread spawn-period closures.…

  • Flathead Catfish
    Late May – Late June

    Trophy flatheads (50+ lbs) take 15–25 years to grow. Conservation-minded anglers practice C&R for trophy fish year-round.…

  • Blue Catfish
    Late May – Late July

    Blue catfish populations have expanded in some Eastern systems where they are non-native (Chesapeake Bay tributaries). Some agencies actively encourage harvest there. In native ran…

  • Striped Bass (Inland)
    Late March – Mid-May

    Inland striped bass populations are entirely supported by stocking in most southern reservoirs because natural reproduction requires specific river systems. Where natural reproduct…

All species — Southern Plains / Ozark / Arkansas River System

  • Largemouth BassMicropterus salmoides
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-May

    Ozark reservoirs and Arkansas waters peak April.

  • Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieu
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May

    Ozark streams (Current, Buffalo, Eleven Point) peak May.

  • Spotted BassMicropterus punctulatus
    Typical window: Late March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 57°FMarMar — Peak spawn (63–68°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (63–68°F)MayMay — Post-spawn — water at 74°F+JunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Late April

    Ozark streams peak April.

  • WalleyeSander vitreus
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Arkansas and Missouri reservoir walleye peak April.

  • SaugerSander canadensis
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Mid-April

    Arkansas River sauger peak March–April.

  • BluegillLepomis macrochirus
    Typical window: Late April – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 65°FAprApr — Peak spawn (70–75°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (70–75°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (70–75°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (70–75°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 80°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late April – Late July

    Ozark and Arkansas waters peak in May–June.

  • Redear SunfishLepomis microlophus
    Typical window: Late April – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 64°FAprApr — Peak spawn (68–72°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (68–72°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (68–72°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (68–72°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 78°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late April – Late July

    Ozark waters peak May–June.

  • Black CrappiePomoxis nigromaculatus
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May

    Mississippi reservoirs (Grenada, Sardis) peak April; iconic spring crappie destination.

  • White CrappiePomoxis annularis
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Mississippi delta reservoirs peak April.

  • Channel CatfishIctalurus punctatus
    Typical window: Late May – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 70°FMayMay — Peak spawn (75–82°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (75–82°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (75–82°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 84°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late July

    Ozark and Arkansas waters peak June.

  • Flathead CatfishPylodictis olivaris
    Typical window: Late May – Late June
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 66°FMayMay — Peak spawn (70–75°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (70–75°F)JulJul — Post-spawn — water at 78°F+AugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late June

    Arkansas and Mississippi delta peak June.

  • Blue CatfishIctalurus furcatus
    Typical window: Late May – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 70°FMayMay — Peak spawn (75–80°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (75–80°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (75–80°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 84°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late July

    Arkansas and Red rivers peak June.

  • White BassMorone chrysops
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Arkansas River white bass run peaks April.

  • Striped Bass (Inland)Morone saxatilis
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May

    Arkansas and Red river system peaks April.

Southern Plains / Ozark / Arkansas River System spawn alerts.

Bield: Fish ties USGS gauges in your area to species spawn thresholds — get notified the day water temperature hits pre-spawn for your target.

Download Bield: Fish
← All spawn calendars