When is it to hot to fish?

[OlyphantLacky]

Im going out in a little bit,do most people stay home when its 90 outside.i just got some new waders and boots so i gotta get out and try them...

 

[albatross]

Oli,

It doesn't matter what the air temp is, except maybe to the sweating fisherman. The water temperature is what you have to worry about. When the water gets over about 70 degrees its best to leave the fish alone, actually you'll find the fish pretty lethargic in these conditions anyway.

So, if you are fishing a limestoner today or maybe had a recent thunderstorm in your freestone drainage temps were probably OK today.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Once the water temp reaches 70... I'm done. I'll wait for some rain or a cold front to come through and cool things down. Besides sweating your a$$ off, it can be lethal to the fish if played too long.

 

[Stone_Fly]

When you arrive at a stream and the water temperature is at or above 68 degrees F, it is best to go to a different stream. Always carry a stream thermometer and always have a second choice. Many limestone streams get above 70 degrees in the hot months of summer, it's not just freestone streams that get warm.
Now if it is evening you do have a choice, wait it out the water temperature will start to drop after around 6:30 in the evening on the more exposed streams. If it is a bright day you should at least wait until the sun is off the water. If you are out at sunrise then have at it until the sun is up for a while, but check the water temperature, trout start losing weight at temperatures above 68 degrees.

 

[JackM]

I always feel the need to comment in these threads because I think that temperature stress gets oversimplified and my research on the topic convinces me it isn't so simplistic.

Water temperature stresses fish in relation to time. What I mean is that a few hours over 70 and the other 20 or so hours below or even well-below causes very little stress. On the other hand, if the temps peak at 74 and remain at 74 for 12-16 hours and then drop into the mid-60s and are hovering there at 600 AM, you aren't doing the fish any favors by "fishing early" or waiting until evening when they dip just below 70.

Depending, of course, on the stream and the recent and current air temperatures, the water temperatures can fluctuate as much as 10-12 degrees over a 24 hour period. If you arrive on a freestoner at 600 AM the day after the air temps were in the 90s and find the water at 68, I would bet good money that for 12 hours or more in the last 24, the stream was above 70, probably well above. At the same time, if you arrive at 300 PM on a 90 degree day and find the temps at 72, you are probably going to cause less harm to that fish than an angler using 7X tippet and playing it for 3 minutes in a stream temping several degrees cooler.

If you are in doubt, fish the creek. the first fish you catch will tell you how it is feeling. If it is weak and lethargic, takes long to swim away, etc., reel in and head elsewhere.

 

[LehighRegular]

Actually, I believe when the water temp is above 68 degrees F trout become stressed no matter how long the temp is above 68. Based on discussions with fisheried biologists, a trout's metabolism is such that they actually begin to loose weight while feeding. The fish will metabolize their food faster than they can get it. So if you consider this a form of stress, one should be careful to fish when temps do reach above this level. Probably the biggest factor in stress is lack of oxygen that is present at temperatures above 68 or even 70 degrees. Some streams/rivers are different but DO levels can decrease dramatically when water temps reach this level. This is probably reflected by "lethargic" fish.

 

[JackM]

I don't question that fish "become stressed" by temperatures above 68, but the questions to consider are "how stressed" and whether in light of that stress, your fishing for them is really harmful. Fish also become stressed by being hooked and landed no matter how quickly you land them and I don't see anyone recommending we give up the sport.

 

[ryanh]

I don't believe that there is not a magic number. If you get a reading of 69 versus one of 72 I don't think that there will be a drastic difference. It is a continum. The water holds less O2 the warmer it gets.

In toxicology there is a term called LD50 (Lethal Dose 50)which is used to guage the toxicity of a substance. At concentration X 50 percent of the population dies. There is no magic number that if below it everybody is fine and if above it everybody is dead. There is a range, and your weaker less fit fish may start going udders up at 65 degrees. Some of your hardiest fish may be absolutely fine at 70. Is there not a strain of Cutts that live in thermal vent in Yellowstone?

 

[jayL]

I agree with Jack on this.

For all the stuff that we overcomplicate to a staggering degree, it's tough to simplify the temperature issue so much.

In the same breath, though... I still use 70 as a benchmark and use my judgement, given many of the variables Jack has mentioned, among others.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Olyphant,

For me it's simple, if I'm uncomfortable then it's likely the trout are too. For me it's simple, I either stay home or wet wade a warmwater stream or bob around a lake in my float tube if I feel I must fish.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[Chaz]

Well it's never too warm to fish for bass, my gosh what am I saying? But for me the temerature for trout is 68 degrees, and usually a little lower for brookies. Keeping in mind that there other variables, I take into account my knowledge of the stream I intend to fish, so if it is a stream I don't really fish very often, I err on the side of caution. With conditions as they are across PA right now there are a lot of streams I wouldn't fish at even 65 degrees. The limestone streams fair better but they do get over 70 degrees when coditions are bad for a prolonged period. Use good judgement and always have a back-up plan.

 

[troutbert]

Keep it simple. 70 F water temp. or over is too warm for trout fishing. Under 70F you're OK.