Colder stream temps

[wildtrout2]

I encounter this situation every season. When the temps on my freestone streams are at 56F or lower, I only ever catch smaller size fish, and not a lot of them. I'm talking fish 8" or under. Never the good size trout. Wild browns, or natives, doesn't matter, it's the same story each year. But, when these same streams get to 58F to 60F the size of the trout and numbers go way up.

Here's a good example. Yesterday I fished a wild brown trout stream that was 56F and caught 12 trout, with the biggest being this roughly 8" fish. Some might say that's not too bad, but this same stream with a temp of 58F-60F has often produced 30 and 40 trout days, with many 9", 10", and 11" trout. Is this a metabolism thing with the bigger fish?

 

[Swattie87]

Pretty sure I know where you were just from the pic of that fish. If I’m right, and not to throw a wrench in the works, the biggest fish I’ve seen caught from that stream (low teens) was in November, in mid 40’s water.

Conditions, Conditions, Conditions strikes again. I’m sure it was fairly low, and clear. I’d take 56 with a little color and higher flows over 60 and low and clear, FWIW.

Though if low and clear, yeah 58 or 60 beats 56.

 

[wildtrout2]

Pretty sure I know where you were just from the pic of that fish.

Conditions, Conditions, Conditions strikes again. I’m sure it was fairly low, and clear. I’d take 56 with a little color and higher flows over 60 and low and clear, FWIW.

You do know the stream, but it had a much higher (too high) flow than I had expected for the middle of July, hence the colder temps. They've been getting these T-storms that many areas haven't been. I'll take summer low flows and 60F every day of the week. That's when I have my best fishing there. Conditions, conditions, conditions hits the nail on the head! I think of your saying every time I encounter these conditions. lol

Also, you won't have 30 or 40 trout days on that stream when it's 56F. It just doesn't happen.

 

[Swattie87]

You do know the stream, but it had a much higher (too high) flow than I had expected for the middle of July, hence the colder temps. They've been getting these T-storms that many areas haven't been. I'll take summer low flows and 60F every day of the week. That's when I have my best fishing there. Conditions, conditions, conditions hits the nail on the head! I think of your saying every time I encounter these conditions. lol

Also, you won't have 30 or 40 trout days on that stream when it's 56F. It just doesn't happen.

Hmm. Good, I guess, that it’s getting some rain (for the fish anyway).

 

[Tigereye]

I'm sure Mike would like to chime in here with his usual sound argument. I would tend to agree with your hypothesis. As the water approaches the "ideal" temps those larger fish gotta eat more to maintain bodyweight. This gives us more opportunity to hook them

 

[wildtrout2]

I'm sure Mike would like to chime in here with his usual sound argument. I would tend to agree with your hypothesis. As the water approaches the "ideal" temps those larger fish gotta eat more to maintain bodyweight. This gives us more opportunity to hook them

Yes, I'd love to hear what Mike thinks about only the dinks being active with colder stream temps.

 

[pcray1231]

I always said 61 is the magic number. When trout feed the best. And direction of change matters too, at any time of the year, the fish turn on as you get closer to that number and turn off as you get further away. I've seen fish turn on as it comes up from 33 to 36. And I've seen them turn off as it drops from 57 to 54.

Anywhere from 50-65 degrees, though, and flows mean more to me than temperature does. Yes, I'll take 61 and good flows over anything. But I'd take 55 and good flows over 61 and super low. Especially with browns.

 

[redietz]

I always said 61 is the magic number. When trout feed the best. And direction of change matters too, at any time of the year, the fish turn on as you get closer to that number and turn off as you get further away. I've seen fish turn on as it comes up from 33 to 36. And I've seen them turn off as it drops from 57 to 54.

That magic number varies a bit by species -- brookies and rainbows like it a bit lower, I think. But you're spot on about the change in direction.

 

[troutbert]

I always said 61 is the magic number. When trout feed the best. And direction of change matters too, at any time of the year, the fish turn on as you get closer to that number and turn off as you get further away. I've seen fish turn on as it comes up from 33 to 36. And I've seen them turn off as it drops from 57 to 54.

Anywhere from 50-65 degrees, though, and flows mean more to me than temperature does. Yes, I'll take 61 and good flows over anything. But I'd take 55 and good flows over 61 and super low. Especially with browns.

That sounds about right for brown trout.

For brook trout, 56F is about perfect.

 

[wildtrout2]

I went back to that same stream yesterday expecting to see summer low stream levels and warmer water after a full week of very hot weather, with night time low temps in the low to mid 60's. Much to my surprise, I found a fairly high, off color stream flow with the same exact water temp of 56F as the week prior. A whole week of this heat and this stream hadn't warmed at all!

I'm thinking that the T-storm they got Friday evening must have accounted for this situation. I did do better than the previous week numbers wise and did catch a few better size fish, but I fully expected lower/warmer water which would have made for even better fishing. We'll see what another week of this hot weather does.

 

[rrt]

WT2, you are fortunate. The reality is, however, that many (most) trout streams should be left alone during this heat wave, since their temps will exceed 70 degrees at some time during the day; and even if a trout is released, it is likely to die. To find streams that remain in the 50s or low 60s is pretty special.

 

[wildtrout2]

WT2, you are fortunate. The reality is, however, that many (most) trout streams should be left alone during this heat wave, since their temps will exceed 70 degrees at some time during the day; and even if a trout is released, it is likely to die. To find streams that remain in the 50s or low 60s is pretty special.

Yes, it really is a special stream. Fishing it about 45 times over thirteen years, I've only seen another fisherman on two occasions. It's the difficulty of access that keeps it very lightly fished. I'd kill to get stream temps of 60, or 62 though. Just a few degrees makes all the difference in the world.