Summer Heat & Water Temperatures

[troutbert]

The forecast is for some real hot weather this weekend.

Many trout streams will go over 70F.

There are some streams that stay cooler. And in the early morning is when water temps are at their coolest.

What brought this up for me was seeing a post that someone is planning to fish Penns Creek this weekend. Penns is one of the streams that warms up pretty quickly. I think Penns will go well over 70F this weekend.

 

[afishinado]

+1

Hey, we all should about wild trout and preserving and enhancing coldwater fisheries. The key word here is "cold."

As Dwight said, there are many trout streams that remain cold in the summer. Choose wisely.

Also, there are thousands of warmwater streams and rivers to fish.

Have fun. Good fishing to all.

 

[rrt]

This is an important topic. It is not just larger streams that will go over 70 degrees; quite a few smaller ones, including a number of streams that support wild trout, will rise above 70 also. If you catch trout in water over 70 degrees and release them, many of them will die. Carrying and using a water thermometer is certainly advisable at all times, esp during the summer.

 

[kenbo5733]

what happens to trout when the water is too warm I know they die but do they suffocate and just float to the surface

 

[Fishidiot]

kenbo5733 wrote:
I know they die but do they suffocate and just float to the surface

Sometimes.
It's not uncommon to see a released trout in warm water immediately go belly up or otherwise fail to revive upon release. More likely, in warm water a trout will swim away and appear to be fine but due to low oxygen and high lactic acid in their bloodstream, it may take longer (perhaps days) for the fish to die. Even more likely, I think, would be death over a period of months due to an accumulation of stress from multiple sources.

 

[Fishidiot]

Although the trout streams down here in the southcentral have had good flows and good temps this year......this is a good reminder that things can (and almost certainly will) change over the next month.

Most years, around mid to late June, I like to get some trout for eating. Many of the ATWs in my neck of the woods lack coldwater refuges and have very few or no wild trout. Virtually all the stocked trout will die off by mid summer. Usually about this time of year, with warm days approaching, I find that trout are pretty inclined to eat in the morning and I'll take a creel and keep a few.
Once I've got three or four stocked trout on ice......I usually go bass fishing (and release the bass).

 

[k-bob]

Some tiny mountain streams stay cold... In the photo section, I posted an image of a tiny stream that was 51F at 1pm last august second. That was an extreme example. Still remember the heat hiking in, and the stream was below the best temperature level for fishing. But yes good idea to watch the water temps now.

 

[PennKev]

Meh.

If it gets that warm the fishing will suck anyway. It gets this hot every year and yet Penns, LJR, etc. are still fantastic fisheries. If a few folks want to go waste their time trying to fish them, it is hardly a big deal.

Meh.

 

[streamerguy]

What brought this up for me was seeing a post that someone is planning to fish Penns Creek this weekend. Penns is one of the streams that warms up pretty quickly. I think Penns will go well over 70F this weekend.

Not sure if you were talking about my post or not but thanks for the heads up. If I do end up going to Penns at all I'll be sure to take a temp.

Today I fished a river in NW PA for bass and stuff, but I also caught a leftover rainbow. Fought very well and seemed very healthy, colorful too, but not sure how much he has left in him. Water temp approached 73 there today.

 

[BeastBrown]

Penns heats up above 70 that fast? Those fish don't appear to be at all stunted in growth from what I've heard and the pictures I've seen. There must be some longer stretches that stay pretty cool I would think(66-70 stable, no?). This upcoming weather isn't really that bad of a heat wave, and it's cracking 70 already.

 

[krayfish]

Low flow and heatwave.....she will be cooking in the lower sections. The fish find thermal refuge, migrate of tough it out. I remember years ago driving up by cherry run, walking up to the cabin and took the temp. 75 early in the morning. Went elsewhere.

+1 to pennkev post. Nothing like stomping around in waders when it's this hot out. I'll pass.

 

[JackM]

If I catch a couple few trout that are lethargic or seem over-stressed, I go elsewhere. What is the fun of that if you know you are only causing harm? If they seem healthy, I'll enjoy my day, even if a muscrat gets a free meal or two out of my efforts. In other words, chance has caused me to kill a few trout unwittingly even in very cold water.

 

[troutbert]

BeastBrown wrote:
Penns heats up above 70 that fast?

Yep. Penns Creek gets very warm in the dog days of summer.

 

[wgmiller]

JackM wrote:
If I catch a couple few trout that are lethargic or seem over-stressed....

Wait a second.... You actually fish??? :-D

 

[PatrickC]

JackM wrote:
In other words, chance has caused me to kill a few trout unwittingly...

Something most fisherman refuse to acknowledge...PERIOD. I would guess we unwittingly have killed more fish in our lifetimes than we would ever want to acknowledge.

 

[troutbert]

The weather got pretty hot over the weekend, so water temps were on the rise.

Pine Creek at Black Walnut Bottom (below Slate Run) on Sat at 4 pm was 79F.

Cedar Run in it's middle stretch on Sunday afternoon was 66-68F, so it probably hit 70F in the lower stretch.

Some of the small, heavily shaded brookie streams were still fine, 56F-60F.

 

[wgmiller]

$11.95 and one of the most functional tools I own... A stream thermometer is cheap and a good way to make sure you're fishing water that isn't too warm!

http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=1104

 

[wgmiller]

PatrickC wrote:
I would guess we unwittingly have killed more fish in our lifetimes than we would ever want to acknowledge.

Couldn't agree more. We try to do right by fishing barbless hooks, practicing sound C & R techniques and doing what we feel is best for survival of the fish. But in the end, we don't know what the ultimate disposition is for the fish once we release it.

Regardless, when compared to harvesting, our "kill rate" is obviously much lower!

 

[pwk5017]

I dont want to undermine the "respect the temps!" theme, but its really more about DO than temps. I was fishing the yough down near connellsville this weekend--bass fishing i might add, so dont jump on my back about temps! Anyways, if you look at the gauge, it would have said like 72-76 degrees, surely trout must have been dying left and right, BUT look at the DO chart. Levels have been getting into the high 7.0s in the MORNING. Trout really need 7.0 and above to comfortably survive(ive read that 6.0 is when death occurs). That part of the river becomes inhospitable for trout later on, but the point is, the stocked trout in that area would have been in warm water, but healthy living conditions. Also, just because temps are lowest in the morning, doesnt mean the DO is highest in the morning. Complete opposite actually. Algae produce o2 throughout the day and use it at night. Just before dawn, the DO levels will be lowest. Just some food for thought on the topic.

 

[PatrickC]

wgmiller wrote:
$11.95 and one of the most functional tools I own... A stream thermometer is cheap and a good way to make sure you're fishing water that isn't too warm!

For some reason...it seems to be the most easily lost thing I purchase.