Time of Year and Trout

[melvinthefisherman]

Do wild trout on streams feed throughout the winter. I primarily am a bass fisherman and it is obvious that during the colder months the base chill out and are tough to catch. Do trout do the same thing as well? And also which flies are my best bet for late oct-nov trout fishing?

 

[tulenkot]

Trout slow down in the winter also but not as much as bass. In October-November they should still be active though. Once it gets pretty cold and the fish stop rising, generic nymphs work
well, as well as dead drifted buggers.

 

[Fishidiot]

What Tulenkot said.

I too am usually after bass in summer and early fall but winter is trout time. There isn't a lot of bug activity in winter although midges can be pretty common on sunny days and these will sometimes bring fish up. Streams that are "limestone" - meaning they are fed by springs more than run off - will usually have warmer water and more active trout during cold periods. If you visit a trout stream and it is locked in ice, the fishing is likely to be very poor and you may wish to do something else. Nevertheless, trout can be caught even in icy conditions, esp brook trout in mountain streams.

 

[Maurice]

Trout feeding optimal temps range from 50-60 degrees water temp. Thats why limestone streams are year round food plots. The metabolism of trout slows when the temperatures goes in either direction from the sweet spot. The cooler the water gets the less they feed. They will still feed pretty good in the mid forties but go below that and its gets exponentially less productive to fish for them.

However, they still require nutrition for sustenance and even in thirty something degree water they will feed. Usually on an upswing in temperature. This typically occurs in the afternoons on freestone streams when the water is warmed by ambient temperatures. Trout can pick up on water temperature changes under 1 degree so take a thermometer and check temps regularly in winter.

Remember that freestone streams leave the spring source at around 52 degrees. If the night time temps are still in the 50s and daytime temps are rising into the 70s (like now) mean temps during the day tend to be somewhere in the middle (60's) This is good news.

If you find the highs and lows to be 30's - 50s you are up against more lethargic fish. But in the afternoon the water temps can reach the forties on an upswing and there will likely be a feeding window. It may take several days of milder temps after a cold snap for the temperatures to rise to the forties. I always try to wait a few days and fish the second or third of fifty degree weather. Rather than go the first day it gets nice out.

Remember that trout will typically expend less energy than the intended meal to stay ahead of the survival curve so it can be productive to nymph slow and deep where they rest in winter. If its close enough and they are hungry they may grab it.

 

[pcray1231]

Nevertheless, trout can be caught even in icy conditions, esp brook trout in mountain streams.

In my experiences, browns handle the ultra cold water better than brookies do. Brookie streams often are really difficult in the dead of winter. You can still get a few, usually. I concur limestoners are best, but even in freestoners, the brown trout fishin seems to hold up the best.

It reminds me, a central PA stream that I took you to once, FI, I fished in January two years ago. In the class A brookie stretch (well upstream of where you fished), and where I typically got 90% brookies, I caught none. Not a single brookie, that is. But I did catch 8-10 nice brownies which were very agressive, which marks my best brown trout day ever on that stream.

The riffles were ice free but the pools were solid iced over. I got most of them by letting the current take a bugger under the ice and into the pools and then working it back and forth. I saw a couple of brookies holding in ice-free places, but they cared nothing about me or my offerings. I even touched one with my hand before it slowly ambled into a root clump. They wouldn't even react.

It's an extreme example, but in winter, I generally focus on brown trout waters. Come about March I'll consider a brookie stream. They aren't good then, but you can reliably get a few, and by then I need a change up as the brown trout waters really limit the options. Really, the brookie fishing doesn't get truly good until late May.

IMO:

Brookies: Best month = July. Worst month = January.

Browns: Best month = May. Worst = July.

 

[pcray1231]

Back to the OP,

Maurice's temps are correct. Actually, I'd pick temps in the lower 60's as "prime". The higher it gets, the faster their metabolism, till you reach a point where dissolved oxygen becomes a problem. In which case their metabolism is still the highest, but they're more concerned about catching their breath than meeting their calorie quota. Chasing that nymph is the equivalent of a super high altitude jog for a human.

Mid 60's = safe for fishing and highest metabolism. My best days are at these temps. Even if 50-60 is best long-term for the fish.

What Maurice says about the direction of change is important in the winter, IMO. If water temperature drops from 42 to 40, they may shut off, especially if they're used to 45 for the last few weeks. But if it rises from 35 to 37, they may turn on, especially if they're used to 33 for the last few weeks.

So absolute temperature does matter, I'd rather it be 43-->45 than 33-->35. But the direction of change matters a lot too.

Also keep in mind that abnormally warm air temperatures can actually drop the temperature of the water. Snow melt. I hate heavy snow covers. You get in that "danged if you do, danged if you don't" mode. A cloudy 40 or 45, though, often doesn't melt much snow.

 

[Fishidiot]

pcray1231 wrote:

In my experiences, browns handle the ultra cold water better than brookies do. Brookie streams often are really difficult in the dead of winter. You can still get a few, usually. I concur limestoners are best, but even in freestoners, the brown trout fishin seems to hold up the best.

It reminds me, a central PA stream that I took you to once, FI, I fished in January two years ago. In the class A brookie stretch (well upstream of where you fished), and where I typically got 90% brookies, I caught none. Not a single brookie, that is. But I did catch 8-10 nice brownies which were very agressive, which marks my best brown trout day ever on that stream.

The riffles were ice free but the pools were solid iced over. I got most of them by letting the current take a bugger under the ice and into the pools and then working it back and forth. I saw a couple of brookies holding in ice-free places, but they cared nothing about me or my offerings. I even touched one with my hand before it slowly ambled into a root clump. They wouldn't even react.

It's an extreme example, but in winter, I generally focus on brown trout waters. Come about March I'll consider a brookie stream. They aren't good then, but you can reliably get a few, and by then I need a change up as the brown trout waters really limit the options. Really, the brookie fishing doesn't get truly good until late May.

IMO:

Brookies: Best month = July. Worst month = January.

Browns: Best month = May. Worst = July.

Very interesting! I think I remember which stream you're referring to....but you have taken me to several wild trout streams and my memory isn't as sharp as a tack. Anyway, thanks again for taking me. I owe you some time on some creeks around here.
I'll have to pay closer attention to the brooks vs browns in winter thing - may change my view. Most of the small streams I fish here in SC are mainly brookie streams with fewer browns and maybe this explains my success with brooks in winter(?). Hhmmm...

 

[pcray1231]

I was talking about the one where we dropped you off at a ball field, then went upstream, then came back to pick you up. We had WWWAAAYYY too many people so were trying to spread everyone out a little.

You were in a class A brownie section, just below a stocked section. We fished the brookie section upstream of where it's stocked. You did pretty well if I remember right.