Most of my fly fishing is warm water, but I plan to do more trout fishing in the future. Is there much of a benefit to having a thermometer? Water temperature certainly wouldn't deter me from trying to catch fish. I either stand in it, next to it, or (if solid) on it, and then change my fishing technique accordingly. When fly fishing, does anyone utilize a thermometer and consider it essential?
How valuable is a thermometer?
- Thread starter dakotakid
- Start date
I personally have never used one, I typically go during the C&R season around here which is all winter, so I typically know what the water temp is going to be at which is Temp Frozen Balls haha
But you say you go no matter what the conditions, so what would be the point? If you are going to go, then go and have fun!
But you say you go no matter what the conditions, so what would be the point? If you are going to go, then go and have fun!
Sage & Abel
Well-known member
I use a stream thermometer often and find it a useful item to have with me while on the streams & rivers. In the summer, I need to monitor the water temps to make sure they don't get too high. Temps in the mid-upper 60's start to get lethal for trout. I also use it to gauge where the water temps are during a particular day. If I start fishing early morning on a trout stream and the water temps are very cold, movement of a degree or two can trigger feeding activity. In addition, knowing how warm/cold the water I'm fishing will also give me an idea of the feeding lanes I can expect to find the fish. I never trout fish without one.
Cheers,
Mike.
Cheers,
Mike.
fredaevans
Well-known member
Where water temp comes into play is fish are 'cold blooded' so take their body heat from the surrounding water. Will differ for fish but once you get much below 42 degrees 'trout types' really start going 'dormant.'
On one level this makes it harder to catch one, in another it can make it easier. Fish will pull right into the banks and into areas of slow flows. I've actually waded out to my knees and looked down stream and had Steelhead laying between me and the bank. Fish were holding in 18" of water.
But as to what is the water temp, more often than not you can find out before you leave the house. Almost every significant moving body of water has a flow/temp gauge on same (the Rogue has several). All you have to do is pull up the one near the water you want to fish and you'll know before you even get in the car.
Original idea of these things was flood prediction(s). The 'green dot' indicating a gauge will be turned to a light orange if flooding is of concern. Many of the gauges will also give you a 'turbidity' so you'll even know water clarity.
On one level this makes it harder to catch one, in another it can make it easier. Fish will pull right into the banks and into areas of slow flows. I've actually waded out to my knees and looked down stream and had Steelhead laying between me and the bank. Fish were holding in 18" of water.
But as to what is the water temp, more often than not you can find out before you leave the house. Almost every significant moving body of water has a flow/temp gauge on same (the Rogue has several). All you have to do is pull up the one near the water you want to fish and you'll know before you even get in the car.
Original idea of these things was flood prediction(s). The 'green dot' indicating a gauge will be turned to a light orange if flooding is of concern. Many of the gauges will also give you a 'turbidity' so you'll even know water clarity.
wt bash
Well-known member
I used to carry one but it just ended up being another dodad hanging off me I didn't need. It might come in handy during the summer months, I'll keep away from trout on freestone rivers once the water starts to climb above 65.
littledavid123
Well-known member
I have never used a thermometer but probably should, especially, since I fish predominately one river. Fishing the same river a lot would greatly increase your learning curve of understanding on how a thermometer can be of benefit.
Dave
Dave
silver creek
Well-known member
I carry one and use it about 3 times a year. I used to use it often but now I know where the cold water inflows are. I think they are useful for a beginner.
double dry
Well-known member
I take water temps religiously. Certainly like to keep track of how warm the river gets in the summer, but I also keep track of temps in the winter on the tailwaters I guide. As stated before, all of this info goes into a log book with temps, flows, hatches, times, etc. You'd be amazed at the trends you will discover.
On one of the tailwaters I frequent in the winter, once the water temps hit about 39 degrees the fish will begin to feed. That's good information, and helps me set-up in certain runs at certain times to put folks on feeding fish.
As said, it's not for everyone, but knowing the temp and how to use it can be very advantageous. I use a little infrared thermometer. Just point and shoot.
Just my .02 cents.
On one of the tailwaters I frequent in the winter, once the water temps hit about 39 degrees the fish will begin to feed. That's good information, and helps me set-up in certain runs at certain times to put folks on feeding fish.
As said, it's not for everyone, but knowing the temp and how to use it can be very advantageous. I use a little infrared thermometer. Just point and shoot.
Just my .02 cents.
coug
Well-known member
I am with bash in that I carried one but it was just another thing to get in the way. Fred is right, most of the time you can check the web and get all of the info you need. I can sit down in the morning and get flows and temps for my steelhead waters while drinking coffee before heading out. One place it might come in handy is the cutthroat waters I fish in N.ID. and W.MT., but flows are much more important than temps, and I get that off of gauges.
wt bash
Well-known member
You make a good point there Double Dry, I used to keep a log book, well sort of. After a while I just figured the times of day the diurnal swing was climbing and started to fish more through the swing. From a guiding stand point it makes sense but I dig getting to my spot early and just hanging out watching for bugs or fish activity. Nowadays I fish Spring Creeks more often and already know the temps are basically somewhere in the 50's year round.
fredaevans
Well-known member
Dah Fred, don't just talk about it .. post up the USA FLO Link.
USGS WaterWatch -- Streamflow conditions
This should be the map that covers the entire USA. Click on the State you want and it will pull up all the gauge locations. Then it takes a bit of 'searching' to find your particular stream/gauge. But if you just put the tip of the cursor on a dot it should tell you what/where, just not the actual information.
Fred
Edit: Took a bit of looking to find this one again.
SOOOOOOOO you know what's going on now in 'real time,' but what about tomorrow? This link gives you NOAA's best guess what the flows will be for the next few days. Same drill as above to pin down a given gauge.
http://water.weather.gov/ahps/
USGS WaterWatch -- Streamflow conditions
This should be the map that covers the entire USA. Click on the State you want and it will pull up all the gauge locations. Then it takes a bit of 'searching' to find your particular stream/gauge. But if you just put the tip of the cursor on a dot it should tell you what/where, just not the actual information.
Fred
Edit: Took a bit of looking to find this one again.
SOOOOOOOO you know what's going on now in 'real time,' but what about tomorrow? This link gives you NOAA's best guess what the flows will be for the next few days. Same drill as above to pin down a given gauge.
http://water.weather.gov/ahps/
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dillon
Well-known member
Water temps may not deter one from pursuing warm water species. However, as has been mentioned playing salmonoids in water reaching 68 degrees is lethal. So, one should not practice catch and release fishing under this condition. Water temperatures do correlate with air temperatures. In the heat of the summer early morning fish can be safe on some trout and steelhead streams. Oregon's Deschutes river is a good example. Water temperatures are controlled at the Dams and are legally required to replicate historic flow temperatures. Warm water temperatures are at there highest at the beginning of the summer steelhead run. There is a mix of wild and hatchery fish at this time. All wild fish must be released unharmed. So, conscientious anglers do not fish until flows temperatures are dropped or only fish during the early morning hours. One could carry a thermometer. However, temperatures are posted online and are accurate and predictable. My partner and I also fish annually in Idaho and Montana. Our road trip includes a few tailwater fisheries and spring creeks. Favorable water temps can always be found with good planning, which is easy with the phone apps that are now available. The advantages of cell hones are now out weighing their minor annoyances. As I am driving, all my partner has to say is, Honey we are near some mountains now, I'm going to lose you, Goodbye... Then he checks on current condtions.
fredaevans
Well-known member
+1 to what Dillon just posted. The maintain water temp is the 'Law of the Land' on the Rogue River. Rogue water comes out (like the Deschutes) from behind a very large dam at RM 157. Dam guys watch the water temps on the Rogue's gauges and iit's getting too warm; out goes more water from the bottom of the Lake.
Year round the water temp is not allowed to get much over 52 degrees in the upper river.
Year round the water temp is not allowed to get much over 52 degrees in the upper river.
planettrout
Well-known member
I carry one of these and I ALWAYS use it...it is in the water while I rig up - stream side...and I generally use it more than once, during the course of a day
...been doing this for years...
PT/TB
...been doing this for years...
PT/TB
mikel
Well-known member
PT, what decisions do you make based on the temp readings you take during the day?I carry one of these and I ALWAYS use it...it is in the water while I rig up - stream side...and I generally use it more than once, during the course of a day
...been doing this for years...
PT/TB
double dry
Well-known member
I like to try to fish ahead of the hatch. Meaning, that with temperature data I can fairly predict when a certain hatch may come off. It helps when rigging to know when to switch to a Blue Wing emerger pattern because the water temps are creeping one way or another and the BW's will begin to pop. This is especially helpful as seasons transistion and "new" hatches are beginning to appear.
I also use temps to gauge feeding behaviors on specific rivers I frequent. For the most part, I can predict when feeding picks up or drops because of temperatures. If we're not hitting fish, I'll know it's not because of temps. It's just another tool.
Couple this with flows, weather conditions, and reading the river, and you're ahead of the game. I've just given a couple examples of why I check water temps regularly, there are other reasons as well. I'm sure others will chime in.
I also use temps to gauge feeding behaviors on specific rivers I frequent. For the most part, I can predict when feeding picks up or drops because of temperatures. If we're not hitting fish, I'll know it's not because of temps. It's just another tool.
Couple this with flows, weather conditions, and reading the river, and you're ahead of the game. I've just given a couple examples of why I check water temps regularly, there are other reasons as well. I'm sure others will chime in.
wt bash
Well-known member
You beat me to it there Double Dry, but that's one of the reason I love/hate those spring creeks. Its more time of day and weather based over water temp.
planettrout
Well-known member
I am more interested in bug activity, which determines, feeding activity of the Trout...as another poster has stated, temperature is an excellent precursor to stages of the hatch for most insects and the activity, along with light and air temps., for other biomass inhabitants . The thermometer also helps locate underwater seeps and springs, most helpful as the water heats up, in mid-summer, here in the West.
This is another nifty gadget that stays in the truck:
Brunton Weather Station
PT/TB
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