Time To Let The Trout Be

[salmonoid]

I was in the woods over the weekend, but my target was fish at night. A stream temp of 75 when I hiked into my site around 6:30 Saturday evening confirmed the night game on the main creek was going to be it. I was really surprised to see actively rising and some very large fish chasing minnows between 7-8:30. Overnight, water temp fell to 67. A small tributary near my site yielded a reading of 64 degrees midafternoon, so that did get the nod. My past two overnight outings, I have caught more fish at night than during the day.

 

[Baron]

Great solution.

 

[maxima12]

The World is a Ghetto====War! Take an ear! Too much! I think Perfect!

Maxima12

 

[evw659]

These marginal areas for wild trout that you have described, which are probably common around the state if people search them out will most likely just get worse in the future unless 1) the main stream above these marginal areas and the tribs thereto naturally become more shaded over time or 2)groups step in with riparian tree plantings if and where they are needed. My greatest concern is that some groups will seek instantaneous gratification by focusing on instream habitat work in streams while the real problem, which will only get worse without more shade in marginal waters is or will be water temp. Two advantages to tree and stake plantings is that they, to my knowledge, do not require permits and it is relatively easy to get large groups of people not necessarily interested in fishing to join in the planting efforts...such as scouts, school groups, church groups, etc. Volunteer manpower is often problematic for instream work.

Thanks for sharing your perspective Mike. I agree w/ your assessment.
In the case of the upper ljr b/w say Sandy Run (Pinecroft) and Tyrone, larger cold water influxes are few and far b/w. Sandy Run is a big one, but it's impacts dont seem to go very far downstream. Next time I take temps up there I'm gonna hike it from Sandy Run down towards bellwood, try to find areas where tree cover is lacking and take temps above and below those areas.
It kind of seems like the cold water from Sandy run could be better preserved by implementing plantings as you described.
Other than being a member and donating here and there, I've never been too involved with the ljra, im beginning to feel like I should be.

 

[jifigz]

I do not have scientific evidence to support my opinion and this is just that, my opinion. I feel like Smallmouths start to feel some stress once th water reaches the mid 80's. I think this is in part due to my obsessant reading of "The Freshwater Angler" when I was a kid. I learned A LOT from that book. It listed their ideal temperatures for smallmouth and had them listed as a "cool water" fish. I also think the fishing gets much worse when the water gets too warm. Maybe that is indicative of them being stressed due to being too hot.

I stopped and took a temp of Kish a couple days ago after a lengthy period of hit weather. The temp at recreation park was 66°. Not bad. The weather has cooled off nicely tonight. Hopefully we get a major break in the heat soon..and we need rain badly here.

 

[Baron]

I’m out of state. Did last nights rain help at all in eastern PA?

 

[afishinado]

jifigz wrote:
I do not have scientific evidence to support my opinion and this is just that, my opinion. I feel like Smallmouths start to feel some stress once th water reaches the mid 80's. I think this is in part due to my obsessant reading of "The Freshwater Angler" when I was a kid. I learned A LOT from that book. It listed their ideal temperatures for smallmouth and had them listed as a "cool water" fish. I also think the fishing gets much worse when the water gets too warm. Maybe that is indicative of them being stressed due to being too hot.

I stopped and took a temp of Kish a couple days ago after a lengthy period of hit weather. The temp at recreation park was 66°. Not bad. The weather has cooled off nicely tonight. Hopefully we get a major break in the heat soon..and we need rain badly here.

For those that don't know, "Mike" (on this site) is a Fisheries Biologist recently retired from the PFBC. He shared info about preferred an lethal temperatures for smallmouth from studies he read. So I consider this scientific evidence >

Using USGS habitat suitability index temperature curves in flowing water for various SMB life stages...

Adults during growing season - post spawning: most suitable temps at 77-84 F and declines to fully unsuitable at 89 F

Fry’s most suitable temps are 74-85 F, suitability curve drops off precipitously to fully unsuitable at 94-95 F.

YOY fingerlings’ most suitable temps 74-84F. Temperature habitat suitability curve drops off to fully unsuitable at 94 F. (My note: some other publications or studies that a colleague once cited as he looked into this indicated mortality around 91-92 F as I recall). Such high temps are likely to result in mortality, not all at once perhaps, but over a period of time as fish health declines.

So yes Josh, you now have scientific evidence to support your opinion > the ideal temps for adult SMB is from the mid 70's to mid 80's, and 90* and above is in the danger zone.

I suggest we all keep this in mind; when the water temps approach 90*, which really doesn't happen that often, don't fish for smallies. In addition, when the water temps approach 70*, don't fish for trout.

Good stuff.

 

[Dave_W]

Baron wrote:
I’m out of state. Did last nights rain help at all in eastern PA?

Yes, it helped with flow levels.

If you glance at the map of PA with the colored dots on the right side of the page (my apologies if you've already been doing this)... you will note the prevalence of black and blue dots. This color implies higher than normal flows.
Such higher flows are usually beneficial to trout in streams in summer and such conditions are often good for fishing.

You should still monitor temps with a thermometer as storms and run-off don't always lower temps - sometimes they raise temps if the storm runs off hot pavement at mid-day.

Overall, the precipitation is good news for trout.

 

[Baron]

Thanks Dave. I had never noticed the temperature on there before. All it deciferin needed by this layman.

 

[nomad_archer]

Dave_W wrote:


You should still monitor temps with a thermometer as storms and run-off don't always lower temps - sometimes they raise temps if the storm runs off hot pavement at mid-day.

Overall, the precipitation is good news for trout.

Very true. Early this season I noticed this at a local stream. I would be low and running at 60* but a day or two after a heavy storm the temps would spike to 67-68*.

 

[pinecroftal]

I was on lower Spring last night and the temp was 64* at 6:00.The fishing was good and I had the stream to myself.

 

[Swattie87]

I fished two small, well canopied freestoners this weekend and temp'd a third. Two were 60, and the third (a receiving stream for one of the other two) was 66. All had caught some of this recent rain and were flowing well for mid July. FWIW.

On the way home I also fished a larger stream that has some cold water influences to it. It was 66 in late afternoon. The rains of the last week have done a lot of good for the Trout and have offset the heat a bit. Good news, and not bad for mid-July. Most of the state is flowing well within "normal" (or slightly better) tolerances now for this time of year according to the USGS map. All seems ok for now.

 

[afishinado]

Pic below I found of trout in survival mode in a refuge area.

I assume there's some kind of spring or cool trickle to get them stacked up like in that photo.

The streams are very low and the record heat this weekend into next week will put great stress on trout in the vast majority of PA streams.

 

[Dave_W]

I got the following water temps with my thermometer on Thursday afternoon:

Upper Yellow Breeches: 67
Lower Mountain: 68
Upper Letort: 54

Flows are adequate for this time of year and I saw many trout, both stocked and wild, and they did not seem under stress... but until we get significant precipitation and some colder nights things are not trending in a good trout fishing direction.

With the current air temps we are getting now, the Cumberland Valley streams are getting borderline and some will be over 70 this week (Letort will stay cold).

Use your thermometer.

 

[rrt]

The record heat during the coming week is going to be brutal and will be tough on the trout in most streams. I think Dave W is correct when he tells you to use your water thermometer.

The Slate Run Tackle Shop website has been asking for several weeks for guys to target bass in Pine and to let the trout alone. Even the runs are warm and questionable.

Might be the time to target bass and to tie some flies.