Question on spawning and wading

[PocketWater]

When is it safe, in your estimation, to wade a brookie or wild brown trout stream where you wouldn't have to worry about disturbing the fertalized eggs? I have a few really small streams I like to fish, but in a lot of cases it would be impossible to not wade dang near in the middle of the stream it is such small water surrounded by brush and trees. I guess what I am asking is when do the eggs actually hatch? Would the eggs have hatched by early December in your estimation?

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[tomitrout]

The length of time required for a trout egg to hatch largely depends upon the water temperature. Rainbow eggs will hatch in 80 days when the water averages 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature were 55 degrees, they would hatch in 24 days. Those eggs which are laid in the fall, when the water is cold, nearly always remain in the gravel all winter and hatch in the spring or early summer when temperatures increase.

Found here via the Googles:

http://www.aldercreekranch.com/trouthistory.html


So I'd say give 'em a chance and avoid harassing them until at least early spring...early December=waayyyy too soon.

 

[PocketWater]

Thanks. Like a dumbass I googled 'when is it safe to wade in brook trout streams' instead of 'brook trout spawning'.

 

[SlingerFlyRods]

"safe" is an objective word.. iF you really want to be 100% safe, you wouldnt fish or wade it at all.

But since that's not the case and certainly insane, you pick your spots where you can. The little time i spend on brookie streams and those that have wild browns, i will fish until i see the fish paired up.. then i will resume fishing when i do not see them paired up anymore being mindful of where i am seeing trout courting on redds.

is that a perfect plan for everyone? no. But i certainly do not lose sleep over it. It will take a whole heck of a lot more than a few people wading the stream to wipe out a population.. These hardy fish have endured much much worse with predation, storms, extreme cold, etc.

just one anglers opinion

 

[salmonoid]

PocketWater wrote:
When is it safe, in your estimation, to wade a brookie or wild brown trout stream where you wouldn't have to worry about disturbing the fertalized eggs? I have a few really small streams I like to fish, but in a lot of cases it would be impossible to not wade dang near in the middle of the stream it is such small water surrounded by brush and trees. I guess what I am asking is when do the eggs actually hatch? Would the eggs have hatched by early December in your estimation?

Thanks for any feedback.

On some streams, the eggs won't even be laid by early December.

Generally, just be aware. As slinger said, if you want to be 100% safe, don't fish until spring. If you want to reduce your chances of disturbing a redd, avoid wading through the tails of pools or shallow riffles. If you hop from large rock to large rock, you won't hurt redds (although your presence might momentarily disturb a pair of courting fish).

 

[MKern]

The sack fry live in the gravel for awhile, until the yolk is all used up and they have to forage for food.

 

[krayfish2]

I try to do minimal wading between November 1 and mid / late February. That pertains to potential spawning areas. If it's a big flat pool that doesn't provide spawning habitat, I'd say wading is ok. My personal satisfaction doesn't trump resource protection.

 

[troutbert]

The fry emerge from the gravel in the spring.

I found a PFBC document online that said they emerge "in April through early May."

 

[rrt]

You have gotten some fairly good responses. One thing I can add here: I know one stream where there are a fair number of wild brown trout but where I nearly never see a redd. There may be others. I think these trout go to feeders to spawn, though there seem to be significant numbers that do not participate in the procreative activities for whatever reason(s).

 

[PocketWater]

Thanks for all the great info guys. This is only my second year fly fishing. The first year I mainly went to stocked streams fishing the DHALO and FF Only sections, and then up to Erie for some Steelhead fishing. This past spring and summer, however, I found a few nice brookie and wild brown streams that were really nice and I don't want to contribute to screwing them up.

I'll let them alone until next spring.

 

[rrt]

PW,
You really do not have to let them alone, if you avoid tramping on the redds and do not fish for the trout on the redds. There will be trout not participating. You may find fish rising, esp. to hatches of small BWO mayflies that you can certainly target ethically. You won't screw things up by fishing for risers and if you are careful to avoid stepping on the redds.

 

[afishinado]

Another fall is upon us. Every year I post this link to an article written by Steve Sywensky from FFP.

To fish or not to fish...

 

[Reeder]

If you know what a redd looks like, it is quite easy to wade and not step on one. Paired up fish are quite easy to spot as well, don't cast to them. No need to ignore the other 95% of the stream.

 

[Chaz]

Stay out of the water as much as possible, cross stream in riffles carefully looking for disturbed gravel, never wade tail-outs of pools, and never wade where gravel in the 1/4 to 1/2 size has been disturbed recently. You can tell disturbed areas of gravel, by how clean it is, keep in mind though that it gets to looking normal pretty quickly after the spawning is complete.
If there is any question about the gravel, just don't wade where you see it.
Never fish over actively spawning fish.

 

[troutbert]

I saw some brown trout on the redds today on a central PA limestone stream.

 

[Midge22]

fished valley creek Sunday. seen a few redds, i seen a fish digging, and seen a pair of fish already sitting on top of the gravel. i bit off and went home.

My suggestion is this. I do my best to leave all wild trout alone until december, usually mid december (its only a month, and there are stocker streams you can fish to get ya by), and then when i get back on the stream, be really diligent about watching where you step. as stated above, do not step on any disturbed gravel, and dont wade in tail outs.

 

[mikesl]

One thing I want to add...

fresh redds are pretty easy to spot... but since the eggs stay in the gravel for months, then from november-february, shouldn't the general idea be to not wade in areas where redds are likley to be?
The eggs / fry will be there, but just not in visible redds, right?

 

[salmonoid]

mikesl wrote:
One thing I want to add...

fresh redds are pretty easy to spot... but since the eggs stay in the gravel for months, then from november-february, shouldn't the general idea be to not wade in areas where redds are likley to be?
The eggs / fry will be there, but just not in visible redds, right?

Correct. General advice is to stay out of the water in spots where redds are a potential. In some streams, it does not take too long before a redd is covered with a fine silt that masks it as being a redd. On other streams, the fish seem to be in a bulldozing match with each other, tearing up the gravel for what seems like months, so visibility is around for a much longer time.

It is a good exercise to go to a stream during the spawn to just observe - you'll see where the fish are making redds and in the process, it will help you understand the places to avoid wading in a stream spawn and post spawn.

 

[mikesl]

Yeah, I've seen some nice fish spawn in Valley, Little lehigh, etc

Anyway, the rule of thumb should be: do not wade in any gravel bottom areas during late fall and winter - assume there WAS a redd there during the spawn.

I assume rocky bottoms and riffles are pretty OK to wade in, and cross, can anyone confirm? do storm events just scramble everything up?

 

[Tucker733]

I was down in the Shenandoahs this weekend and there were a room of brookies on redds. The redds were hard to pick out from ones I've seen in the past. I believe anyone not having seen the fish forest could have stumbled right through them