Smallmouth bass is not a species that is hatchery reared and stocked in this state, and the success of natural spawns dictates the quality of the fishery. After spawning, females move immediately into deeper water. Males stay on the nests as guardians of the fertilized eggs, but following the hatch they also move to deeper pools. In the case of fish spawning in tributaries, movement is toward the parent stream. The typical habitat in which smallmouth relocate following spawning is largely dependent upon stream-water levels.
High flows enable fish to utilize habitat often too shallow or dry in low flow periods.
Smallmouths disperse and use all of the rocky and log-fall habitat containing two or more feet of water. Rocky habitat is usually selected over log jams. As water levels recede through the summer, fish are forced into pockets of deeper water. These are associated with rock riffles, log snags and cut-banks. At this time the fish congregate into schools and become more vulnerable to angling.