High water has no affect on fishing.

Don

Don

Well-known member
In fact I hope it floods so much that my basement floods so I can sit on the top step and fish within proximity of my fridge and coffee pot, lol.

I would like to hear your thoughts on fishing high and low water. I've fished at Frances E Walter Dam when it was down 30-40' and the fishing was okay. Fished the Delaware two autumns ago when it was an all time low and the fishing stank. I would have thought that the river would have been better when low as there was less acreage for the fish to feed in. I've done okay with shad in high water but it seems to put off the SMB.

What is your opinion with high and low water and what do your experiences indicate?
 
A-5

A-5

Moderator
High water on a lake? Way different on a River.


High water in Pulaski is great. It promotes migration of migration fish. A touch of stain on a river is great. Not necessarily high but stained. Muddy and high is worthless. High water in a Lake? Well give them a day and it’s game on. Water change up or down will absolutely shut a fish down for a day or so.
 
troutspinner

troutspinner

Nuts & Bolts Guy
I can’t say much for lake fishing as I’ve not noticed much of a difference when lake levels are high or low. Rain however does bring stained muddy water into the lakes and while it’s never helped my catch rate, I can’t say that it hurt my catch rate much either.

River and stream fishing is a different ball game. Growing up and into my 30s, we fished the Schuylkill a lot for catfish and high muddy water always brought them to life, especially larger ones.

Trout fishing in streams, there is a fine line. Increase flows can turn a typical 20 trout day into a 50 trout day if the level is right. Cross that line where it goes from stained to muddy and the production goes down.
 
B

Bootfoot

Well-known member
High muddy water in a river or stream has the fish spread out but within an inch of the bank. Very easy to find. low water the exact opposite and they will be concentrated in deep pools at the end of oxygen Generating fast ripples. I have no idea about lakes but I see those guys banging the bank in a single file line all day every day regardless of conditions.
 
pabassman

pabassman

Well-known member
Don said:
In fact I hope it floods so much that my basement floods so I can sit on the top step and fish within proximity of my fridge and coffee pot, lol.

I would like to hear your thoughts on fishing high and low water. I've fished at Frances E Walter Dam when it was down 30-40' and the fishing was okay. Fished the Delaware two autumns ago when it was an all time low and the fishing stank. I would have thought that the river would have been better when low as there was less acreage for the fish to feed in. I've done okay with shad in high water but it seems to put off the SMB.

What is your opinion with high and low water and what do your experiences indicate?
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Youre talking about two different things. Lakes can be tricky. A lot of times they will follow the water and go up with it. Not always. In summer when the weeds get thick I've seen the fish stay put on the edges. FEW is a unique situation. Today its 30 feer higher from when I was there on March 2nd. The lake will drop 70 feet in a matter of 4 - 5 days in October. River fish react different. I love from Nov thru March for the river to be up and stained. It moves a lot of walleye and musky closer to the bank. Some smallies move in with them. Very predictable pockets, current breaks will hold fish. Low water in the summer/fall put the smallies in the faster riffs. Find some bigger rocks and smallies will be behind them
 
Don

Don

Well-known member
Well Un-delete it so your minions can learn. Look at the wisdom recited by Mr Bassman and build on it. Nappy was telling me that Northerns are pretty predictable in Spring.
 
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HenryDavid

HenryDavid

Well-known member
I've caught my biggest fish in rising water, streams & rivers. On the other hand when the Susquehanna reaches it's summertime low level I can wade out to spots I wouldn't otherwise be able to get. When the smallies are rising for dry flies it's game on.
 
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Solitario Lupo

Solitario Lupo

Moderator
High lightly stained waters great fishing. Flooded out muddy waters not so good. Clear low water they can get spooked easily. Clear low waters on hot days not so good and not good for the fish. Anything else in between can be good.
 
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truecrimson

truecrimson

Well-known member
T
Bootfoot said:
High muddy water in a river or stream has the fish spread out but within an inch of the bank. Very easy to find. low water the exact opposite and they will be concentrated in deep pools at the end of oxygen Generating fast ripples. I have no idea about lakes but I see those guys banging the bank in a single file line all day every day regardless of conditions.
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The great irony of fishing. You start out bank fishing looking at all the places you think fish are out there but can't get to, only the guys with a floatie can. Then you get a floatie of some kind and think the fish are all up under cover by the bank where you can't cast because the damn bank fisherman are there ;)
 
truecrimson

truecrimson

Well-known member
Catfish like to follow floods up onto land and get the terrestrials. They know they're up there, they just can't get to them all the time. Some other fish like to as well.

Lower water changes the neighborhood. The old structure may be inaccessible so they find new structure.

Faster water usually has more O2.

Darker water hides them form predators. We have forgotten the food chain but they know they are in the middle of it.

Water we can't see through, they can't see through either so you have to hit them in the head with something but you can't see them.

Reread Bootfoot's post above, it sums up moving water.

Melvin wins the thread though. Nothing teaches like experience.
 
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Melvinp

Melvinp

Well-known member
Always had good luck fishing for cats when the river was on the rise I think it just because the fish are trying to get out of the current and consolidate in the slower moving pools
 
G

Gremcat

Well-known member
truecrimson said:
Catfish like to follow floods up onto land and get the terrestrials. They know they're up there, they just can't get to them all the time. Some other fish like to as well.

Lower water changes the neighborhood. The old structure may be inaccessible so they find new structure.

Faster water usually has more O2.

Darker water hides them form predators. We have forgotten the food chain but they know they are in the middle of it.

Water we can't see through, they can't see through either so you have to hit them in the head with something but you can't see them.

Reread Bootfoot's post above, it sums up moving water.

Melvin wins the thread though. Nothing teaches like experience.
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Still waiting to be outfished,,, see earlier comment on experience here telling stories,,,,, back later Thursday, hitting water Late Friday or early Saturday, let’s go!
 
G

Gremcat

Well-known member
I think I saw that same Documentary on catfish in Africa making it through dry season. I don’t recall ever seeing 5-10 lbers in local mud puddles though, come on TC it’s trout season, let’s beat up some pellet heads
 
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