Your experience fishing early cold mornings.

Andrwhite610

Andrwhite610

Active member
Joined
Feb 26, 2023
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172
Location
Berks County
I’m a morning person and love getting out on the water right at dawn. Also my negotiations with my wife and life allow me to fish every Sunday from dawn to noonish.

Normally that’s a great time to fish. However I’ve noticed on my last couple outings with temps in the high twenties that bites have been hard to come by. Usually about 11 AM when things warm up so does the fishing. Maybe it’s just my luck or there is something to cold mornings being slow. I’ve heard it will have an effect and I’ve heard it doesn’t matter.

I’m curious what some of your experiences are fishing cold mornings?? Thanks 😄🥶
 
Andrwhite610 said:
I’m a morning person and love getting out on the water right at dawn. Also my negotiations with my wife and life allow me to fish every Sunday from dawn to noonish.

Normally that’s a great time to fish. However I’ve noticed on my last couple outings with temps in the high twenties that bites have been hard to come by. Usually about 11 AM when things warm up so does the fishing. Maybe it’s just my luck or there is something to cold mornings being slow. I’ve heard it will have an effect and I’ve heard it doesn’t matter.

I’m curious what some of your experiences are fishing cold mornings?? Thanks 😄🥶
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Even during the warmer months, I find fishing to be best mid to late morning rather than closer to first light. During the cold months, it's consistently better later, but there are no rules.

Either way, if I'm driving any distance to fish, I tend to get at it as early as possible even if I don't expect the fishing to be great very early. The days are short so might as well make the most of it.
 
This time of year is more off than on regardless of time of day for me. I went last week at the crack of dawn and fished until 3 and caught a few first thing and didn't have a hit for the rest of the day.
 
PennKev said:
Even during the warmer months, I find fishing to be best mid to late morning rather than closer to first light. During the cold months, it's consistently better later, but there are no rules.

Either way, if I'm driving any distance to fish, I tend to get at it as early as possible even if I don't expect the fishing to be great very early. The days are short so might as well make the most of it.
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I have the same idea. I’m up early anyway wired from coffee so I like to get to it. Also I have fear of driving an hour just to find out I’m fishing behind other fisherman. I like to be first for better or worse.
 
Yep. Typical when it’s cold the early morning bite can be slow. As suggested previously, you may want to re-open the negotiations with your wife.
 
Let the water warm a little bit with the sun. Fish from maybe 1030-11 until dark. Usually that's the best window, but sometimes it'll vary.
 
I'm always looking for risers
And typically wouldn't be on the water before noon this time of year, as that would be an after noon thing.
Now, and in early spring too
But yeah, with the days being so short now, I would still be at least looking earlier in the day.
You never know.....
 
PennKev said:
Either way, if I'm driving any distance to fish, I tend to get at it as early as possible even if I don't expect the fishing to be great very early. The days are short so might as well make the most of it.
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I have the same mentality. Not only can I beat other people to the desired creek/river I wish to fish I can also fish that body of water for a bit and decide if I want to say there or move elsewhere. This tactic worked well when I attempted Penns in the morning. The wind picked up in the morning and it was a bluebird day (a no no on Penns). All I caught was some rocks and a fallfish (was cool with the fallfish). Decided to hit the J and it really paid off. Also, if I arrive early I can take my time setting up, taking in the scenery, and getting a feel for how the fishing day will be.
 
Fish in the morning are gonna be lethargic as there is a decrease in temps. Throughout the day the rising sun will get there metabolisms moving just a little more and you will see bug activity about midday. Mornings are gonna be the coldest point in the day due to a prolonged timespan without sunlight. Again, renegotiate with wife, Christmas is coming, get her something nice to better your chances at a lengthened fishing window.
 
Awhile back I read an article that claimed that fish fed most when the water temperature warmed to its highest temperature during cold winter days.

I don’t know how to correlate that claim to the fact that when I often used fished for steelhead throughout the winter (the coldest morning I remember fishing was -18°) that the bite was often best at the crack of dawn. I’ve often also had excellent fall fishing in MT the first thing in the morning with temperatures in the teens or twenties. Go figure!
 
There's an old adage that says "fish in the comfortable part of the day." In summer, that means fish early in the morning, or in the evening.

In winter, it means fish in the warmest part of the day, which will never be early in the morning.

Although there's another adage that says "fish when you can", following the one about the comfortable part of the day will get you more fish.
 
I will add that I’m probably not going to shift my fishing to the afternoons on Sunday. I like to get the hell out of dodge before my wife, 1 year old son and two English Bull Terriers wake up. Once the house awakes there’s no telling what could happen haha.

I love being out super early so I will accept the slow fishing. Plus after 4 hours of no bites that 10” fish really gets the heart pumping.
 
Andrwhite610 said:
I will add that I’m probably not going to shift my fishing to the afternoons on Sunday. I like to get the hell out of dodge before my wife, 1 year old son and two English Bull Terriers wake up. Once the house awakes there’s no telling what could happen haha.

I love being out super early so I will accept the slow fishing. Plus after 4 hours of no bites that 10” fish really gets the heart pumping.
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Dear Andrwhite610,

You didn't mention what fish you are targeting so I'll give a few general ideas.

If you are fishing for trout, I'd suggest you try to fish limestone influenced streams on early late Fall and Winter mornings. They are generally more uniform in water temperature because they are fed by multiple springs. If you know the location of those springs it can lead you to water that has a greater potential for results.

One good way to do that is to wet wade your local trout in stream in the Summer. When you move around and find yourself in a spot that makes you think the water is kind of cold commit that spot to your memory. In the dead of Winter that Summer cold spot will probably be a few degrees warmer than the rest of the stream.

You can have water temperatures at dawn in the upper 30's or even above 40 on a limestoner, even after a night in the teens. Knowing the spring sources from your wet wading will help. On a freestone stream, a night like that could easily result in water temperatures close to freezing depending of course on the depth and flow of the section you are fishing. Regardless, you will be looking at a pretty substantial difference between a limestone and a freestone stream in terms of temperature. Everything on Earth moves more slowly in the cold. Fish are no exception.

Regards,

Tim Murphy
 
TimMurphy said:
Dear Andrwhite610,

You didn't mention what fish you are targeting so I'll give a few general ideas.

If you are fishing for trout, I'd suggest you try to fish limestone influenced streams on early late Fall and Winter mornings. They are generally more uniform in water temperature because they are fed by multiple springs. If you know the location of those springs it can lead you to water that has a greater potential for results.

One good way to do that is to wet wade your local trout in stream in the Summer. When you move around and find yourself in a spot that makes you think the water is kind of cold commit that spot to your memory. In the dead of Winter that Summer cold spot will probably be a few degrees warmer than the rest of the stream.

You can have water temperatures at dawn in the upper 30's or even above 40 on a limestoner, even after a night in the teens. Knowing the spring sources from your wet wading will help. On a freestone stream, a night like that could easily result in water temperatures close to freezing depending of course on the depth and flow of the section you are fishing. Regardless, you will be looking at a pretty substantial difference between a limestone and a freestone stream in terms of temperature. Everything on Earth moves more slowly in the cold. Fish are no exception.

Regards,

Tim Murphy
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Yes trout.

I do not have the knowledge yet of telling a limestoner and freestoner apart. Just not a subject I have looked into yet. I was fishing 2 new to me sections of the Little Schuylkill. The more upstream section definitely had little feeder creeks and trickles of water coming off the mountain. Also a large boulder overhang that had lots of water dripping off of. I do however understand that spring Influences do have effect on temperature and will keep that in mind.
 
Andrwhite610 said:
I will add that I’m probably not going to shift my fishing to the afternoons on Sunday. I like to get the hell out of dodge before my wife, 1 year old son and two English Bull Terriers wake up. Once the house awakes there’s no telling what could happen haha.

I love being out super early so I will accept the slow fishing. Plus after 4 hours of no bites that 10” fish really gets the heart pumping.
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If you makes you feel any better, in my experience I also find that the fishing totally shuts off like a switch later in the afternoon in the winter like 3:30 - 4:00 pm so you aren't missing a whole lot not spending an entire day on the water.

By that time my feet are usually frozen so I don't mind quitting that early. ;)
 
I think the magic number is water temp 40 degrees and above in winter. More than what time of day on a freestoners near me this afternoon it was 38 degrees..... 4 day ago same stretch it was 46. At 8 am n cloudy. Fish we're not a lethargic as they were today although I managed to get 3: in a couple hours it was a grind... Low n slow lol
 
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