Fall reservoir fishing
October 18, 2010
Reservoir and lake fishing is some of the best fishing of the fall season. There are several reasons why fall still water fishing can be great. Consistency of water temperature is one of the largest reasons why I fish still waters in the fall. Still waters will stay warmer over night and warm up quicker near the surface during the day. In my experience fish tend to be more active longer through the day in still waters. Particularly on warm days through the afternoon. Streams, especially mountain streams, tend to cool off significantly over night and take longer through the day to warm back up. When you have cloudy days moving water may not warm up at all. This is not to say fishing will be bad in cold water, just that it will usually be better longer through out the day on still waters in general. Ya ya , there are always exceptions.
I have found that a minimum of 2-4 degrees warm-up will start fish feeding activity in moving water. The warm-up theory holds true in still waters as well, but only a 1 – 2 degree warm up will change fish feeding activity. On the other side of this theory, a 1-2 degree drop in water temperature seems to be consistent in both still water and moving water will slow to stop fish feeding behavior. If you have not tested water temperatures while you are fishing, I recommend you take some time and study the differences in water temperature and fish feeding activity throughout the day. You will find that still waters are much more stable with water temperatures.
I typically check the water at least 5 times per fishing day. I typically test the water when I first get to it for a morning test baseline water temperature. I check again after I catch my first fish. I check between 11:00 am and Noon, 1:00pm and 2:00pm and after I catch my last fish of the day. I also check when I think I notice a difference in water temperature from spot to spot I am fishing. By this I mean from hole to hole or from riffle to hole or riffle to riffle.
Deeper riffles and holes can be 1-2 degrees colder or warmer a lot of the time. When the water is cold, you will typically see warmer water in the riffles. When the water is hotter, you will typically see colder water in the riffles. I am sure you have noticed fishing is better from one hole to the next hole than many riffle areas a lot during the hot summer days. This is a common mistake many fisherman make due to lack of knowledge or skill. The water is colder typically in a hole, but at the right time, the warmer riffle can be more productive. However on a very hot day the opposite affect happens, the riffles can be slightly cooler than a hole and with more oxygen causing the fish to hang in the riffles. Colder water on hot days is a good thing . Warmer water on a cold day is a good thing. Holes will typically fish better on hot days than riffles but there are exceptions. This is partly due to hatches that wash down from the riffles into the holes, but it is also due to water temperatures.
Now, on warm days or very hot days, you need to check out the shallow riffles more. By shallow, I mean 6″ to 18″ deep water with cut banks, boulders and bank cover like shrubs, trees, debris piles or moss clumps. You will be surprised what kind of fish come out of the shallow riffle water during the average summer day. Why is this? Cooler water and more oxygen in the shallow riffles. At different times during a day the shallow water is warmer than the holes and at other times, the shallow water will be cooler than holes. So if you pay attention, you will catch more fish in places you don’t expect. Test if for your self. I check the water temperature for many reasons, but I think if you check it for your self, you will start realizing the subtle and significant differences in water temperature in direct relation to catching fish. I apologize for straying from fall reservoir fishing to water temperature testing, but I hope this information will help you catch more larger fish more often.
Good luck
Roger
