Your experience fishing early cold mornings.

[silverfox]

One of my favorite streams isn’t worth fishing until at least 10am from November to June, and it’s best between 3pm and dark during these months. After years and years of fishing there I don’t even attempt to fish any earlier now.

 

[jeffroey]

Like the OP I like being on the stream at sun up and because I'm usually driving and hiking a bit, the days are too short to wait until noon to get started. I do notice the bite is always better late morning/early afternoon when the water temp comes up a little bit. Joe Humphreys' "Trout Tactics" has a lot of good info on temp ranges and considerations (along with the world wide internet : )

Pro tip: wear nano ski pants like Columbia's powder lite's under your waders. The "puffy" style ski pants compress nicely, aren't restrictive, and breathe. They've made a huge difference for me on cold mornings.

 

[Andrwhite610]

Like the OP I like being on the stream at sun up and because I'm usually driving and hiking a bit, the days are too short to wait until noon to get started. I do notice the bite is always better late morning/early afternoon when the water temp comes up a little bit. Joe Humphreys' "Trout Tactics" has a lot of good info on temp ranges and considerations (along with the world wide internet : )

Pro tip: wear nano ski pants like Columbia's powder lite's under your waders. The "puffy" style ski pants compress nicely, aren't restrictive, and breathe. They've made a huge difference for me on cold mornings.

So far I’ve been pretty comfortable temperature wise. New waders, proper layering, Merino wool socks and two xl hand warmers in the wader pocket have been doing me good. I’ll wear gloves early on until they get too wet.

 

[BruceC2C]

Regarding source to help locate
Spring v Freestone...
I have previous edition
and found to b very helpful.

Keystone Fly Fishing: The Ultimate Guide to Pennsylvania's Best Water​

 

[poopdeck]

Fish bite better at sun up and when it’s raining, or so I’ve heard a thousand times. Not for me they don’t. I have no desire to fish before 9 AM. I don’t care if they bite at 8:45, I’m not going out until 9. The only possible exception to this is the time of the high tide. I will only fish the high tide when salt water fishing. Good thing the tide is a known natural occurrence so I can plan my trips for when the tide falls in line with my sleep schedule.

 

[Mike]

When fishing for trout and the water is cold, such as in the cases sometime in fall, winter, and sometimes on opening day (earlier openers), the trout want a little meat on the hook. Minnows are generally the ticket. Later in the day the lure and fishing pick up if the water warms a few degrees. Stream and river species are certainly more active on rising water temps based on fish passage-way observations and this also seems quite often to pertain to fishing success as well.

 

[Prospector]

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 😄🥶

This excerpt might be helpful to understand how trout behavior relates to temperature in winter and throughout the year.

Jay Thurston 2012

Water has its greatest density at 38 to 39 degrees and trout seldom hit when the water temperature is below 40. Frequently taking the water temperature tells you if it's rising or falling one degree. Thus I take the water temperature at least once every hour. If the temperature is slowly rising up to 63 degrees you will want to keep fishing. However, if the water temperature drops one degree the trout usually quit feeding.

Having kept thirty-four years of water temperature data I have concluded there are three significant water temperatures at which trout seem to feed best. I have identified the three significant feeding periods as the 40 degree rise, the 45 degree rise, and the 49 degree rise. At 67 degrees trout quit feeding, therefore, you should move upstream to cooler water or quit fishing. During the last two months of the season fish the upper third of the trout stream. When the water temperature rises above 63 degrees trout start to shut down; and at 67 degrees they are usually dormant and refuse to hit an artificial. With trout I believe their sleepiness period does not depend upon the time of day but upon the water temperature. If the water temperature is below 45 degrees or above 65 degrees, most trout will be sound asleep. And a siesta for trout can last for hours.

As the cold front approaches, when clouds appear and the air temperature is stable or rising, you can have excellent fishing. Over the years I have found that rainy day fishing works best on the most heavily fished waters where fish hold fast to cover and are hesitant to hit any offering. Fish seemed to have learned that the rain makes food easily available and also causes most anglers to quit fishing.

To help the trout angler with catching trout I have developed a trout timetable. The timetable gives you the best time to fish depending upon the air temperature. Remember air temperature affects water temperature, and the further you are fishing away from the spring water flowing into the stream, the greater impact air temperature will have on stream temperature and therefore on your fishing success.

The following fishing table does not take into consideration cloud cover. Add an overcast sky to the equation and you can extend the time to fish by three hours on the right side until it becomes dark or the cloud cover has gone. For example, if the air temperature high for the day is between 34 and 39 degrees and it’s overcast you could fish until its dark. And if the air temperature is going to be a high of 71 to 75 degrees and the sky is overcast, you could have good fishing from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cloud cover is just as important as water temperature, so it's important to follow the timetable and, if possible, fish under cloud cover, which will enable you to catch more trout and larger trout. Trout will not feed during a thunderstorm. So, if you hear thunder, immediately leave the stream and seek shelter in a vehicle or building.

Thurston's Trout Feeding Timetable is based on high air temperature for the day; the best time to fish:

34-49 degrees; 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
50-55 degrees; noon-5 p.m.
56-60 degrees; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
61-65 degrees; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
66-70 degrees; 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
71-75 degrees; 8 a.m.-noon
76-80 degrees; 7-11 a.m.
81-85 degrees; 7-10 a.m.
86-89 degrees; 6-9 a.m.

Notice my timetable doesn't go below 34 degrees or above 89 degrees because when the air is uncomfortable for most anglers to fish, the water is uncomfortable for most trout to feed. Trout fishing is not an exact science and many factors can change your fishing success. However, my trout fishing timetable will give you a time to fish when the water temperature is likely to be favorable for trout to feed. Other factors come into play like the time of year you are fishing and where you are fishing the stream.

When you begin fishing in the morning, during the warm month of July take the water temperature, and if it’s 67 degrees or above most of the trout will have moved upstream to cooler water. For fishing success you need to move upstream, too.

===

 

[JeffK]

All advice above is good. I commonly have my best fishing in the winter - especially for larger fish. However, I second if you want to fish in the morning find a spring creek or a spring hole. Finding them in the summer is more comfortable, but you can also find them in bitter cold weather by looking for where ice doesn't form against the bank (if it does for most of stream) or seeing steam come off the water only at one spot. Also, I have had luck in the winter in the shallow tails of pools with dark bottoms and a few feet deep (shallow enough to get sun/deep enough to hide). These places may roast in the summer but may be the place in the winter.

Fish in the winter don't have much appetite. Strategies for winter fishing are either go small with some common tidbit of food right in front of the fish's nose or go with a streamer large enough to wake them up, but not too big. 1" to 3" is a good range. For me that means either midges and small scuds or slowly swung streamers. The streamer bite often is very subtle in winter - feels like a leaf getting caught. Strike on every bump. Minnows, midges and scuds are around every day of the year.

Temperature change is important. One day I had a great day at 37F after a cold front had the water temps at 35F for a week. If you get rain on snow no matter how warm the rain, stay home. Melted snow is right at 32F and turns off the fishing.

Good luck - winter fishing can be productive once you figure it out.

 

[Andrwhite610]

All advice above is good. I commonly have my best fishing in the winter - especially for larger fish. However, I second if you want to fish in the morning find a spring creek or a spring hole. Finding them in the summer is more comfortable, but you can also find them in bitter cold weather by looking for where ice doesn't form against the bank (if it does for most of stream) or seeing steam come off the water only at one spot. Also, I have had luck in the winter in the shallow tails of pools with dark bottoms and a few feet deep (shallow enough to get sun/deep enough to hide). These places may roast in the summer but may be the place in the winter.

Fish in the winter don't have much appetite. Strategies for winter fishing are either go small with some common tidbit of food right in front of the fish's nose or go with a streamer large enough to wake them up, but not too big. 1" to 3" is a good range. For me that means either midges and small scuds or slowly swung streamers. The streamer bite often is very subtle in winter - feels like a leaf getting caught. Strike on every bump. Minnows, midges and scuds are around every day of the year.

Temperature change is important. One day I had a great day at 37F after a cold front had the water temps at 35F for a week. If you get rain on snow no matter how warm the rain, stay home. Melted snow is right at 32F and turns off the fishing.

Good luck - winter fishing can be productive once you figure it out.

On one of my local “quickie” streams near my home I fish a hole that I know for a fact is just below a named spring. the stocked rainbows are extremelyyyy active during my last few visits.

 

[flipper]

This excerpt might be helpful to understand how trout behavior relates to temperature in winter and throughout the year.

Jay Thurston 2012

Water has its greatest density at 38 to 39 degrees and trout seldom hit when the water temperature is below 40. Frequently taking the water temperature tells you if it's rising or falling one degree. Thus I take the water temperature at least once every hour. If the temperature is slowly rising up to 63 degrees you will want to keep fishing. However, if the water temperature drops one degree the trout usually quit feeding.

Having kept thirty-four years of water temperature data I have concluded there are three significant water temperatures at which trout seem to feed best. I have identified the three significant feeding periods as the 40 degree rise, the 45 degree rise, and the 49 degree rise. At 67 degrees trout quit feeding, therefore, you should move upstream to cooler water or quit fishing. During the last two months of the season fish the upper third of the trout stream. When the water temperature rises above 63 degrees trout start to shut down; and at 67 degrees they are usually dormant and refuse to hit an artificial. With trout I believe their sleepiness period does not depend upon the time of day but upon the water temperature. If the water temperature is below 45 degrees or above 65 degrees, most trout will be sound asleep. And a siesta for trout can last for hours.

As the cold front approaches, when clouds appear and the air temperature is stable or rising, you can have excellent fishing. Over the years I have found that rainy day fishing works best on the most heavily fished waters where fish hold fast to cover and are hesitant to hit any offering. Fish seemed to have learned that the rain makes food easily available and also causes most anglers to quit fishing.

To help the trout angler with catching trout I have developed a trout timetable. The timetable gives you the best time to fish depending upon the air temperature. Remember air temperature affects water temperature, and the further you are fishing away from the spring water flowing into the stream, the greater impact air temperature will have on stream temperature and therefore on your fishing success.

The following fishing table does not take into consideration cloud cover. Add an overcast sky to the equation and you can extend the time to fish by three hours on the right side until it becomes dark or the cloud cover has gone. For example, if the air temperature high for the day is between 34 and 39 degrees and it’s overcast you could fish until its dark. And if the air temperature is going to be a high of 71 to 75 degrees and the sky is overcast, you could have good fishing from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cloud cover is just as important as water temperature, so it's important to follow the timetable and, if possible, fish under cloud cover, which will enable you to catch more trout and larger trout. Trout will not feed during a thunderstorm. So, if you hear thunder, immediately leave the stream and seek shelter in a vehicle or building.

Thurston's Trout Feeding Timetable is based on high air temperature for the day; the best time to fish:

34-49 degrees; 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
50-55 degrees; noon-5 p.m.
56-60 degrees; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
61-65 degrees; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
66-70 degrees; 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
71-75 degrees; 8 a.m.-noon
76-80 degrees; 7-11 a.m.
81-85 degrees; 7-10 a.m.
86-89 degrees; 6-9 a.m.

Notice my timetable doesn't go below 34 degrees or above 89 degrees because when the air is uncomfortable for most anglers to fish, the water is uncomfortable for most trout to feed. Trout fishing is not an exact science and many factors can change your fishing success. However, my trout fishing timetable will give you a time to fish when the water temperature is likely to be favorable for trout to feed. Other factors come into play like the time of year you are fishing and where you are fishing the stream.

When you begin fishing in the morning, during the warm month of July take the water temperature, and if it’s 67 degrees or above most of the trout will have moved upstream to cooler water. For fishing success you need to move upstream, too.

===

Thank you for this post. This is why I come to PAFlyfish.

 

[troutbert]

Here's how it goes on the mountain streams during the cool/cold months:

Newbie starts fishing at the crack of dawn, fishes until 10 am, then is tired and frustrated from not catching diddly, and quits.

Experienced fisherman arrives at 10:30, just when the fishing is starting to pick up a little. Fishes through the afternoon when the fishing is at its peak, then quits when shadows fall.

 

[dudemanspecial]

This excerpt might be helpful to understand how trout behavior relates to temperature in winter and throughout the year.

Jay Thurston 2012

Water has its greatest density at 38 to 39 degrees and trout seldom hit when the water temperature is below 40. Frequently taking the water temperature tells you if it's rising or falling one degree. Thus I take the water temperature at least once every hour. If the temperature is slowly rising up to 63 degrees you will want to keep fishing. However, if the water temperature drops one degree the trout usually quit feeding.

Having kept thirty-four years of water temperature data I have concluded there are three significant water temperatures at which trout seem to feed best. I have identified the three significant feeding periods as the 40 degree rise, the 45 degree rise, and the 49 degree rise. At 67 degrees trout quit feeding, therefore, you should move upstream to cooler water or quit fishing. During the last two months of the season fish the upper third of the trout stream. When the water temperature rises above 63 degrees trout start to shut down; and at 67 degrees they are usually dormant and refuse to hit an artificial. With trout I believe their sleepiness period does not depend upon the time of day but upon the water temperature. If the water temperature is below 45 degrees or above 65 degrees, most trout will be sound asleep. And a siesta for trout can last for hours.

As the cold front approaches, when clouds appear and the air temperature is stable or rising, you can have excellent fishing. Over the years I have found that rainy day fishing works best on the most heavily fished waters where fish hold fast to cover and are hesitant to hit any offering. Fish seemed to have learned that the rain makes food easily available and also causes most anglers to quit fishing.

To help the trout angler with catching trout I have developed a trout timetable. The timetable gives you the best time to fish depending upon the air temperature. Remember air temperature affects water temperature, and the further you are fishing away from the spring water flowing into the stream, the greater impact air temperature will have on stream temperature and therefore on your fishing success.

The following fishing table does not take into consideration cloud cover. Add an overcast sky to the equation and you can extend the time to fish by three hours on the right side until it becomes dark or the cloud cover has gone. For example, if the air temperature high for the day is between 34 and 39 degrees and it’s overcast you could fish until its dark. And if the air temperature is going to be a high of 71 to 75 degrees and the sky is overcast, you could have good fishing from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cloud cover is just as important as water temperature, so it's important to follow the timetable and, if possible, fish under cloud cover, which will enable you to catch more trout and larger trout. Trout will not feed during a thunderstorm. So, if you hear thunder, immediately leave the stream and seek shelter in a vehicle or building.

Thurston's Trout Feeding Timetable is based on high air temperature for the day; the best time to fish:

34-49 degrees; 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
50-55 degrees; noon-5 p.m.
56-60 degrees; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
61-65 degrees; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
66-70 degrees; 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
71-75 degrees; 8 a.m.-noon
76-80 degrees; 7-11 a.m.
81-85 degrees; 7-10 a.m.
86-89 degrees; 6-9 a.m.

Notice my timetable doesn't go below 34 degrees or above 89 degrees because when the air is uncomfortable for most anglers to fish, the water is uncomfortable for most trout to feed. Trout fishing is not an exact science and many factors can change your fishing success. However, my trout fishing timetable will give you a time to fish when the water temperature is likely to be favorable for trout to feed. Other factors come into play like the time of year you are fishing and where you are fishing the stream.

When you begin fishing in the morning, during the warm month of July take the water temperature, and if it’s 67 degrees or above most of the trout will have moved upstream to cooler water. For fishing success you need to move upstream, too.

===

What book is this from? I see he has written a few.