Low trout threshold temperature for fishing

[pete41]

Hate to keep bringing up Montana but fish are the same-
Anytime during the winter when a chinook moved in and temps got above freezing for a few days i would head for the Missouri-usually got to the river around 10;30-the rivers would be bank to bank with slush ice on the surface-makes a noise you never forget-then usually around 11 or shortly after when the sun had warmed things just enough that slush ice would melt in minutes-it was like magic-you had to witness it a few times to believe it-that was the time to be there-the post spawn browns would be ravenous-ready to feed up for the trip down river-anchor ice on both banks and car sized icebergs that you had to dodge kept things interesting-
However if the day got too warm and snowmelt entered the water[you could tell by the almost perfectly clear aqua blue water getting murky] forget it.
Generally had to get out every 45minutes or so as the toes would get unbearably painful.Oh to be young and foolish again/still.

 

[David]

The dynamics of fluid motion are very complex. Add in countless variables on a trout stream such as sun, depth, color, ground springs, etc., etc., the temp can change vary significantly within a few feet. So keep in mind that where you measure may not be the same temp as where the fish are holding. Fish will seek out those warmer changes.

 

[k-bob]

PA freestone streams have differing degrees of ground water input, so the winter temps can be different for nearby streams, just like summer temps

 

[franklin]

afishinado wrote:
THERE-ARE-NO-HARD-AND-FAST-RULES-WITH-TROUT, but IN GENERAL the best fishing is when temps are near the ideal (mid 50's - low 60's). I just cut and pasted a bell curve graph for demo purposes. Of the thousands of FFing trips I've made, on average, I caught more fish when temps were in or near the ideal range.

Jack and Pat, your mission is plot the activity levels and temps by .01 degree increments and mark it on the X & Z axis. Factor in the hatch quotient squared (of course) and mutiply by the 7.892 of the population density / hectare liter and divide by the square root of the macro density per square meter of stream, and we'll finally nail this thing down........:roll:

Don't forget we want it broken down by species.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

The perfect temp for trout fishing is 33 to 69 degrees ;-) plain and simple. 🙂

 

[FarmerDave]

rrt wrote:
Now for the question: What is the lowest water temperature that you think is realistic for possibly catching and releasing a few trout in a couple of yours? As of now, I think it's more than 32 degrees.

I'd have to say 32F. If it gets below that, it gets a little hard. :-D

Hey Pat, lining steelhead doesn't count.

 

[RLeep2]

>>The perfect temp for trout fishing is 33 to 69 degrees>>

Now that we've got the temperature thing settled, we can move on to when is the best time to trout fish.

Using Astrology, Nick Lyons solved this many years ago in one of his essays in FF magazine when he said: "The best time to fish is when Mercury aligns with Saturn, the Moon is in the Sixth House and the wife is in the House of the Mother-In-Law".

That was a long time ago that Lyons wrote this. Long enough that I think I went out and changed the points, plugs and condenser on my car later that day...

 

[pete41]

agree with Nick-
although 3 marriages and no mother-in-laws can't say that from experience.
Would suggest extreme cold is one of the few times for buddy fishing-
I always fished alone and almost became a statistic early one morning when I realized I wasn't just inordinately tired but was succumbing to hypothermia and a little nap on the bank could be a fatal mistake.

 

[pcray1231]

Hey Pat, lining steelhead doesn't count.

They hit I tell you!!!

 

[FarmerDave]

osprey wrote:
Lakes in Minnesota frozen to the point where you can drive your car out there , ice measured in feet not inches , and they still catch fish , sometimes alot of fish. All the rest of the theories considered , fish like any other organism , eat when they are hungry and they have food available PERIOD.

It's true the eat when hungry, and they are also opportunistic.

However, water is at it's most dense between 39 and 40 degrees. When ice fishing on a lake, the water near the bottom is usually close to that unless it is real shallow.

then you have springs.

I used to ice fish fairly often, and even occasionally caught trout. But most of the trout i caught were in fairly deep water or in shallower water where I knew there were some springs.

Just sayin.

but most of my ice fishing was for panfish.

Some fish species will bite better at lower temperatures.

Here is one for you. I've ice fished in relatively small farm ponds a few times over the years and have never even gotten a bite. On the other hand, I've ice fished lakes, and caught dozens of fish even in fairly shallow areas. Same species that are in the ponds too. what the heck is the difference?

I've also ice fished a shallow lake (roughly 300 acre lake) where I used to live a couple of times where the whole lake is quite shallow (more like a dammed up swamp), and never got a bite. And that lake is overpopulated with fish.

I guess that is why we call it fishing and not shopping.

 

[tomgamber]

FarmerDave wrote:

Here is one for you. I've ice fished in relatively small farm ponds a few times over the years and have never even gotten a bite. On the other hand, I've ice fished lakes, and caught dozens of fish even in fairly shallow areas. Same species that are in the ponds too. what the heck is the difference?

I'm guessing of course but thermal refuge below the thermocline is my guess. Just like fish in hot weather hanging out near the bottom when the lake turns back over, they hang out bear the warmer bottom in winter. They will move to shallow water occasionally to feed just as in the opposite season. But as far as you catching them...hell that's just luck.

 

[barbless]

The most reliable info I'm getting from this thread is that some of you will find an excuse to toss line in any conditions where there's open water to cast- i.e., you are insane.

You know who you are

 

[JeffK]

I fish a lot in the winter and have had banner days down to 33F. However, in cold water the window of opportunity is short. One cold winter a shelf of ice developed on one side of my favorite winter hole - typically a sign of a bad day. However, the cold weather was consistent and the fishing was great. I developed a tactic where I cast a small jig onto the ice and then pulled it off and let it sink straight down. Caught a lot of fish that year right at the edge of the ice.

In general, a big winter turn-off is when the weather gets unseasonably warm and there is still snow on the ground. The snow melt will chill the water and the fishing usually turns awful even though the air temps may be at springtime levels. Even then I have good decent fishing in snowmelt.