Water Temperature Depth

[Guest]

I am going to develop my own fishing log. One of the entries will be for the water temperature. At what depth should the water temperature be taken? Surface? 5 feet? Depth the fish are at? Any suggestions?

[kslipsinker]

Surface temp. That is a starting point for a reference log.

[Steve Foss]

Surface temp is important, and a good starting point.

But that's only part of the story. What if you're fishing big pike in the summer? Then you'll want to take the temp above, in and just below the thermocline.

What if you're targeting lake trout, which also prefer a specific temp range that during summer doesn't occur at the surface.

All species have comfortable temp ranges, and they don't alway overlap. Some species go wherever they can find the right temp with enough oxygen. Others tend not to move around as much, and become less active when the water where they are goes outside their temp range.

I think your log would have the most value if you referenced those preferred temp ranges for each species and then searched for those temps while searching for your fish. Include the depth at which you found the temps, and where you found your fish. You could learn a lot that way.

[Surface Tension]

I'm a firm believer in using temperature to find fish. Sometimes its just a matter of following warm surface water onto shorlines.

On the Great Lakes water temps are your structure. You have to use temps to get find fish out there. Theres times all your concerned with surface temps. Later in the summer you start to fish the water column you'll need to find the right temp/depth combination.

Inland trout both lakers and and stream trout in designated lakes temp is key to constantly find fish.

Theres also times you need to know the temp of a fish you've caught so you can match your temp/depth.

If your keeping a journal then you should include as much information as possible, even if it seems unnecessary at the time.

[icehousebob]

Blue, In your log, keep a slot for barometer readings. The reading, and whether the reading is steady, going up, or down. I kept a log for a couple of years for wind direction, temp, moon phase, etc. Barometer was the biggest influence on fish biting. Give me a steady barometer for 48 hours[high or low] and I'll catch fish. The exception was Northerns, they bite anytime.