We study the smallest positive eigenvalue λ1false(Mfalse) of the Laplace–Beltrami operator on a closed hyperbolic 3‐manifold M which fibers over the circle, with fiber a closed surface of genus g⩾2. We show the existence of a constant C>0 only depending on g so that λ1false(Mfalse)∈false[C−1/ vol false(Mfalse)2,Clog vol (M)/ vol false(Mfalse)22g−2/(22g−2−1)false] and that this estimate is essentially sharp. We show that if M is typical or random, then we have λ1false(Mfalse)∈false[C−1/ vol false(Mfalse)2,C/ vol false(Mfalse)2false]. This rests on a result of independent interest about reccurence properties of axes of random pseudo‐Anosov elements.