Sudden temperature drops

[Nymph-wristed]

wait a minute. Suckers eat. Our majestic trout feed 🤣

You know, Joe, if you have to feed them a size 8 stonefly in 4-6 feet of water, it might just be an eat 😉

 

[nd1001]

In my experience, a sharp drop in temps really shuts the fish off in mountain freestoners, especially in springtime when water temps are just breaching the level where they really get active.

 

[wildtrout2]

In my experience, a sharp drop in temps really shuts the fish off in mountain freestoners, especially in springtime when water temps are just breaching the level where they really get active.

I could not agree more. My 20+ years of fishing mountain freestone streams almost exclusively, has proven that time and time again. My best fishing has been when warmer stream temps stayed consistent for a week or more.

 

[Swattie87]

Agree. On small streams a cold snap like this, especially coupled with high water, can set things back a week or more in the Spring.

Generally I think this is the case until Memorial Day or so. After that, and until early October or so, a cold snap (especially when coupled with an heavy rain) actually likely improves the fishing on most small freestoners.