Think about giving the trout a break...

[PALongbow]

Fishing Creek in Columbia County was 72 degrees this evening. Still people are fishing. Don't understand the mentality but I guess most of them are keeping the fish anyway and don't care about water temps.

Ron

 

[salmonoid]

I'll play a slight contrarian on this. If the water is 72, those anglers can fish all they want. They aren't hurting the fish, because the fish aren't going to feed at that water temperature. They are in survival mode. I remember coming to some pools that held dozens of brook trout on some streams years ago. I thought I had found fishing nirvana. Only problem was the fish wouldn't budge, for anything. I've since figured out they were hugging spring seeps (this was on a freestoner). I'm sure you could stress fish that are in the marginal zone. But fish that are in survival mode are not going to even turn an eye to your fly.

I plan to fish while on vacation next week. The one stream I have temperature data on has not topped 68 degrees, despite the warmer air temps. Dissolved oxygen has not gone below 8.5 mg/l. Whether the stream actually has any water in it might be the main issue

 

[nymphingmaniac]

72 degrees on fishing creek is probably the equivalent of 75-76 on most others in the area. 70 degrees to a fish that regularly experience these temperatures and the average stream temp is let's say 63-65, are more apt to handle it.On the other hand, fish normally swimming in 55-60 degree water will not handle the stress. People have responded to this opinion that "dissolved O2 content is a function of temp". It is. However, organisms adapt and their physiology changes. Here are a few changes that can occur. one, they adapt to utilize lower O2 (see human example below). two, their metabolism changes so that they can deal with lactic acid build up (or other metabolite swings associated with temp stress). Another is behavioral. fish that live with regular temp stress will "learn" how to adapt to these conditions- find seeps, even reduce their activity etc. All of these reasons contribute to the higher mortality of stocked fish.

I have to somewhat disagree with the opinion that fish will not feed and won't be caught under these conditions. It is true that mature fish will behave this way. The younger fish (the future population) will continue to be caught. Furthermore, even if none of the fish will eat, wading through the river spook trout causing them to move from holds and potential seeps that are potentially live saving.


Here's two simple human analogies. Someone from Harrisburg will have a very hard time running in the rocky mountains, a local is just fine. Or, a resident of florida puts on a winter coat when temps drop to 60 degrees while we would be out in a long sleeve T.

It is for all these reasons I don't follow a simple- its under 70 so its good to go. There are some streams (or sections of streams) fishing at 68 isn't that bad assuming the temp won't rise above 70 degrees shortly afterwards. However, others I won't touch if the water is above 64.

 

[franklin]

Find a spring creek which still has relatively cool water temps.

I remember fishing Cedar Creek when the air temps were in the high 90s but my feet were turning blue.

 

[JeffK]

I've always liked switching to smallies in warm water. Fishing is better in bigger rivers like the Delaware, but I have grown to like the smaller rivers. At first I focused on smaller rivers since I have a couple within 15 minutes of home and could easily fit some fishing in with kids and work, but have grown fond of them. First, the smaller rivers are a little more fly friendly for me. Often when fishing the Delaware I go with spinning gear for wind, distance, or depth. Not a problem with smaller rivers and my favorite tactic is to use deer hair or pencil poppers.

The key to finding the better smallies in smaller rivers is to find the deeper or more protected spots where bigger fish flourish. Smaller bass can be found many places, but the larger ones seem to need the better holes. This means miles of wet wading or canoeing to explore, which at the end of the day is just as much fun as the fishing. Wet wading in the shade along a small river is a great way to be outdoors and still stay cool in steamy weather. This is a time most people stay indoors and one can find lots of peace and quiet. Plus I enjoy watching for birds, wildlife, or whatever else comes my way. However, find a secluded hole in a small river and you may find a bragging size smallmouth. I'm always about the fishing as well.

 

[Char_Master]

I've been giving stream Trout a break for a couple weeks. They're still in my local creek, even at 74-82°F water, but even without taking them out of water that kind of stress would kill them, waiting for a few days of cool weather and or September before I go after them again. On the bright side, pelagic Trout are going nuts right now in Lake Erie in the cool 39-55°F water below the major thermocline, going out for some C&R Steelhead and Lake Trout trolling and jigging tomorrow and Sunday, out of water for 60 seconds max then revived & released.

 

[Fredrick]

afishinado wrote:

SteveG wrote:
The warm-water fish need a better director of marketing. I haven't given trout a second thought in weeks. I had my first musky follow last weekend, and its all I can think about.

Captain Dave is in charge of the squad. Contact him:

Trout are 4 suckers this time of year in Pa . If you have to go to the stream with a thermometer to see if its ok for you to fish, you're doing it wrong.Get out of your comfort zones guys, if you have to make it into a game for it to be more entertaining then try and see how many different species of fish you can catch on the fly this summer . In the end it will make you a better angler.

 

[DocPow]

For rivers, fishing for smallies, I like Clouser minnows.. for lakes, poppers or Dahlberg divers.

 

[jifigz]

SteveG wrote:
The warm-water fish need a better director of marketing. I haven't given trout a second thought in weeks. I had my first musky follow last weekend, and its all I can think about.

I have long been a "warm-water" enthusiast and just in the past few years started caring about trout. I think many people's attitudes on here about the "warm-water" species is somewhat amusing. If you go out right now and catch a musky in water that is pushing 80° and don't bring that fish in and release it as quickly and as responsibly as possible, then that musky has just as good of a chance to succumb to stress mortality than a trout at 70°. Muskies and smallmouths are not "warmwater" fish, but rather "cool-water." When temperatures hit 80° these fish are all ready stressed to some degree. Now, I don't stop fishing, but I catch and release as quickly and safely as possible.

 

[afishinado]

SteveG wrote:
I have long been a "warm-water" enthusiast and just in the past few years started caring about trout. I think many people's attitudes on here about the "warm-water" species is somewhat amusing. If you go out right now and catch a musky in water that is pushing 80° and don't bring that fish in and release it as quickly and as responsibly as possible, then that musky has just as good of a chance to succumb to stress mortality than a trout at 70°. Muskies and smallmouths are not "warmwater" fish, but rather "cool-water." When temperatures hit 80° these fish are all ready stressed to some degree. Now, I don't stop fishing, but I catch and release as quickly and safely as possible.

Here is a link to a thread on the subject of temps for smallies:

Temps for SMB

 

[jifigz]

Thanks for the link Afish, but I'm not believing much of what is stated in that piece. I feel a smallie is out of their optimum range after about 75°. That article states that bass become inactive below 50°, that is certainly bogus. It also said the lab results stated that bass preferred water in the 80° range in the lab, but what were their means of oxygenation the water? Was it really representative of what we find in true smallmouth settings in the wild? I've certainly seen fish sunning in warm weather with warm water temps, but generally they are juveniles. It is very rare to find large smallmouths in shallow water with water temps this warm and the air temps soaring with a blazing hother sun. Just my opinion, of course, but I've done much research on things like this myself and have a lot of experience to help validate my claims. Either way, I'm ready for the temps to cool so all fishing improves.

 

[afishinado]

jifigz wrote:
Thanks for the link Afish, but I'm not believing much of what is stated in that piece. I feel a smallie is out of their optimum range after about 75°. That article states that bass become inactive below 50°, that is certainly bogus. It also said the lab results stated that bass preferred water in the 80° range in the lab, but what were their means of oxygenation the water? Was it really representative of what we find in true smallmouth settings in the wild? I've certainly seen fish sunning in warm weather with warm water temps, but generally they are juveniles. It is very rare to find large smallmouths in shallow water with water temps this warm and the air temps soaring with a blazing hother sun. Just my opinion, of course, but I've done much research on things like this myself and have a lot of experience to help validate my claims. Either way, I'm ready for the temps to cool so all fishing improves.

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/wdb/pub/hsi/hsi-036.pdf


The link is not to an article, it is a scientific study called the HABITAT SUITABILITY INFORMATION:SMALLMOUTH BASS by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

On the first page it is stated:

This model is designed to be used by the Division of Ecological Services in conjunction with the Habitat Evaluation Procedures.

Like any scientific study, it is never to be taken as the end-all, be-all on the subject, but I rate it as very reliable info.