Anglers have been staying away from the streams in Pierce county in droves as of late because of the high air temps. The water temps have gotten just as uncomfortable for the trout with water temp readings at 67 degrees in the early am and pushing close to 70 at a number of locations on the Rush River yesterday.
I guided the rush river yesterday with my two friends Chris and Barry in the 102 degree heat. Both anglers and their guide were unsure of how the fish would react to the high water temps. I am happy to report there was enough rod action to keep them focused but production was typical of mid-summer angling, difficult and sporadic. Both clients worked hard for their fish in the tolerable, but sometimes uncomfortable, summer heat. Staying in the water the entire time was just not enough to erase the sun’s sweat power. Angling in the early morning hours in shady medium depth water was the most productive. Chris landed a 15″ brown and a few smaller. Barry managed a couple as well. There were a few misses but it seemed that the 9 to 11 inch fish were the only ones willing to play. Barry then shocked the crowd with a 15″ fish of his own. Barry commented during the fight that the fish was not fighting like a trout. It seemed that this fish was a bit out of its element, enjoying his new home. After all the temps were comfortable for him. A smallmouth,,,,,, in the Rush. The first I can remember catching in this river . I have found smallies on the Kinni before, down on the lower end, but not in the Rush. Maybe it is more common than I think.
Mid afternoon was dismal. Once the sun burned through and the water temps aproached 70 the trout were ghosts. We were sweating profusely. Salt in the eyes. We called it good. Sorry Chris no photo of your big one. Barry gets all the pub.
Thanks guys, enjoyed it.
4 users commented in " Think It’s Been Hot…. So Do The Trout "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackAndy,
Should we be fishing for trout in those water temps?
Sure.
But it’s always good to be err on the side of caution. Lets see if we can get some information from the biologists out there. This morning water temps where I was were in the low 60’s The day before we were seeing water at 73 degrees. I think there are many variables to your question. Where temps are taken. When temps are taken. Spring creeks or freestoners? Upper river or lower river. Our rivers are a bit different than much of the water in the Mountain West. High temps are high temps, no doubt. I am always open to input.
I’ve read that once the water reaches 70 degrees we should stop fishing for trout. The warmer water holds less oxygen and the trout can’t easily recover after being caught and released.
I’ve also read and my own experience bears out that the fish are less active as the water warms through the upper 60’s. They don’t bite so well.
This is the time of year, on some streams at least, to put the thermometer into the tail and the head of each pool. If the tail is even one degree cooler than the head, there’s a spring seep in there and the fish will pile up there in the warm weather. In the summer I’ve found otherwise undistinguished looking pools full of trout, while some pretty water upstream and down was barren.
Perry
All good info. Thanks for commenting. I must admit to being guilty of not having any systematic method of taking temperature. When I post water temps I am anything but scientific and maybe it is somewhat misleading. Sometimes I throw my thermometer off shore in shallow water and go pick it up 30 minutes later. I am never sinking it to the bottom of deep holes or standing in the middle of fast runs. I use it as a tool of observation to give me info on why fish are active or not. Be assured that all of the water in the stream is not the same temperature at the same time. This is another discussion.
I Know the locations of some seeps and springs and also the mouths of small creeks and inlets. I do concentrate my fishing in these area because the fish, over time, have told me to (not literally). Stream temps are coldest here. These are the spots where the fish are actively feeding. Probably one more note I should add. I am a big advocate of playing fish to hand quickly. Most of the time we are playing 1lb fish on 5lb test not the other way around. I hook the fish quickly move it away from the area it was hooked and land them without any long drawn out fight or fanfare, no matter what time of year it is. The tug is the thrill but the longer a fish is played under any conditions, the longer it will take him/her to recover.
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