Best Winter Lakes for Float Tube

[BruceC2C]

Considering to purchase my first " belly boat/ float tube" with seat design to sit above the water, using oars , as well

I normally fish Rivers & Creeks in Winter.
and basically ignore all Stillwater options.

Requesting help with suggestions
for best Lake options
in PA, WV and MD......for WINTER fishing.

ThankYou

 

[TimMurphy]

Considering to purchase my first " belly boat/ float tube" with seat design to sit above the water, using oars , as well

I normally fish Rivers & Creeks in Winter.
and basically ignore all Stillwater options.

Requesting help with suggestions
for best Lake options
in PA, WV and MD......for WINTER fishing.

ThankYou

Dear BruceC2C,

What do you want to fish for in the winter? If you don't have a target species, then just about any lake that is ice free will probably do. You will need a sinking line or at the very least a heavily weighted sink-tip line. Risers will be in short supply.

One thing I want to caution you about is to be wary of the water temperature. I'll speak from experience having float tubed a Colorado lake at about 9500 feet in elevation during the peak of snowmelt. It was in July, but 35-degree water will rob you of body heat faster than our dog pounces on a dropped food scrap. Even with the elevated seat that keeps much of you high and dry your feet will turn to stones in a short time.

And please, wear a PFD. Lots of brands have vest like PFD's like Stohlquist and NRS. They are not cheap, but you can probably find a Black Friday deal somewhere to get the cost down. Don't mess with cold water without one!

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂