Where to fish in spring flood conditions

[fish-n-geek]

I copied this from the Small Streams forum, thought it might get more (or any) responses here.

We were staring at the flooded creek behind my parents' house the other night and trying to figure out where the fish are holed up. Normally, this creek is three to five feet wide and about a foot deep, with occassional holes six feet or so deep. You can find fish holding on stumps and similar structure as the creek zig zags through marsh and dry land.

In the spring, the winding narrow creek becomes a hundred foot wide straight shot over all the marsh land. The "channel" is four or five feet deep at this point. Where do the fish go when the current is flying like this? I'm guessing you still look for trees or points of land that will create pockets out of the current. Is this water even worth fishing before it starts to drop?

The early trout season is open (WI), so I've been thinking about giving it a shot, but am not sure where to start.

-rus-

[rushing]

You probably wanna stay away form any stream thats really high. But if its alittle high and muddy like after a rain the faster water pushes the fish next to shore or behind cover. With the water murky upsize your fly and you have a chance of getting into a stray fish here and there.

[WxGuy]

If a typically 3-5ft wide stream went to 100ft wide, I don't have any advice as to where to look for fish. Likely, they're hiding out under cover that still remains in the original stream channel. While I'll fish streams and rivers that are running high, I don't have any experience fishing anything that's outside it's banks...that makes for potentially deadly wading.

[Abrams]

Personally I would wait until the steam has come down. I've try it, it's hard. Maybe a feeder stream?

[fish-n-geek]

There's no way I'd try to wade this right now. That'd be like hangliding in a hurricane. I was leaning more towards fishing from shore or a canoe. There are some spots where you can get within ten feet of where the channel lies.

This area of the creek has its normal banks within the marshy area, and then "superbanks" that contain the spring floods. The water would have to come up another three to four feet before it could clear these outer banks and start flooding fields and woods. I've never seen it that high.

I'll see if I can still reach some of the trees/stumps that I know to be there, or just keep getting ready for the regular opener.

Thanks

-rus-

[Fishin Beast]

If I was trying to fish that stream I would head upstream as far as possible. If nothing else just wait till the conditions get better, that is about all you can do.

[fish-n-geek]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I checked out this water again about a week after the first time I was back there, and it dropped over two feet! It is completely back in the channel now. Odd - I've never seen it drop that quickly after it floods in the spring.

-r-