No anglers in my family until I came along. Not even sure why I wanted so badly to go fishing at an early age, nor why I took to the sport with such passion. I basically got my dad and uncle into the sport as well as my nephews, nieces, and eventually my daughter… meeting like-minded friends along the way to round out my fishing circle. Being a self-taught angler in the pre-internet days meant that you acquired your knowledge from books/magazines and applied this to your situation. My single greatest source of information came from the pages of In’fisherman. Why? Because they took a very scientific approach to the sport and this really appealed to me. Their F+P+L=S formula was pure genius and I am 100% certain that I became a better angler for having studied that magazine for years.
Sorry for the long intro… now to the point… SOLUNAR TABLES were included in every issue of In’fisherman (and other periodicals). Using sun and moon data the best DAYS and, within that, the best TIMES of the day when fish would be feeding were predicted. OK, spoiler alert on the best DAYS… it’s the day of the new and full moon for each month with diminishing returns over the three days before and after. Within every day however there are still forecasted major and minor times for peak fish activity.
As I have documented on NAFFF many times, I am a dedicated keeper of fishing journals. I have logged every trip in great detail since 1988. At one point I went back through my top 50 best trips – “best” defined as very high catch rate, or high numbers of big fish, or both. Almost 35% of those banner days occurred during a full moon phase, and another 32% came during a new moon phase. That got me thinking about the bad trips – low to NO catch rate. Only 16% of those came during a full moon period and another 25% during new moon. While I do believe that local weather and time of year play larger roles, there is no doubt – at least in my mind – that there is something to this solunar table theory.
In 2010 my angling world got flipped upside down when I moved to Utah. My seasonal gig on fly fishing was now a year round focus, and my stream/river experience of angling for coldwater species soon gave way to stillwaters. Now in my 8th year as a Utahn it feels like my transition is complete and I fish lakes for trout almost 100% of the time from ice off to ice up. There is much to love about fishing lakes for trout, most notably; the large average size of the fish, almost zero crowds to contend with, and a real sense of adventure in a new angling frontier (to me) as well as genuine adventure in the alpine lakes of the Rocky Mountain backcountry. Of course with a new approach to angling comes new, and required study materials (old habits die hard). One of the first things I noticed in stillwater trout angling literature was a reoccurring warning to AVOID full moons! WHAT? This went against everything I had learned and believed over the course of my fishing life. I later learned that most stillwater trout anglers believe this to be true. Even the casual anglers out west are tuned into the “avoid full moon” theory. A friend at work the other day – casual angler and ardent backpacker – even told me that he has concerns over their big backcountry trip planned for July because it falls across a full moon!
So why is this the case for stillwater trout? Why are the best days for fishing bass, pike, walleye, etc. be completely opposite for trout… another site-feeding predator? Some of the theories are interesting…
TROUT FEED AT NIGHT – A commonly accepted explanation is that trout feed at night during a full moon period. Understanding that many of the best trout lakes in the Rocky Mountain West are somewhat lower in elevation (5000-6500 feet ASL), it is theorized that over the summer when water temps in the shallows are reaching the uncomfortable (if not critical) levels for trout, they feed intensely at night during bright moon periods to take advantage of the cooler water temps and thus are not active during the day. OK, interesting and I cannot fully dispute that.
PLANKTON SHUTDOWN – Another, deeper theory, is that plankton (and other dark loving low food chain items) shut down during full moon phases. Especially the day of and few days following the full moon (when moonrise follows sunset). The idea here is that the tiny organisms that rely on the cover of darkness go dormant for a few days surrounding full moon and this in turn shuts down the entire food chain. Supposedly this theory has some real teeth and there are studies out there to support this. There is even the silver lining that that 4th and 5th day following a full moon feature intense feeding activity and some of the month’s best fishing opportunities.
There are others as well, but these are two that seem to come up regularly in my search for the answers.
Back to the solunar tables… one story that I came across simply stated that all things being equal (local weather influence aside), fish will actively feed for 90 minutes (to the minute) around the sunrise and sunset times, and the moonrise and moonset times. And when these periods overlap… BOOM.
I one heard Charles Meck say during a presentation that as we get older, we need to fish smarter as opposed to just fishing harder. Makes sense after all… when you’re young you’ve got plenty of time and stamina to be out on the water all day if necessary. As we get older though life gets considerably more complicated and our time on the water becomes more precious. If catching fish is important to you, then it makes sense to fish smarter. If there is a way to crop the downtime out of a fishing trip and plan better, then I am willing to explore that. For example there is a particular lake that I like to visit in the High Uintas with a healthy population of Brook and Tiger Trout. One thing about the weather during the summer out here is that it is consistent. And I have had numerous trips to this lake over the past few seasons where the weather is seemingly identical every time. No kidding, I compare them in my journal and it looks like the only changes made were to the date and results. I have had stellar 20+ fish days there and also had to scratch for 1 to avoid the skunk. The other thing that is the same over these trips… time of day. I get to the trailhead at the crack of dawn, fish to around noon, then head home. So of course it begs the question… did I simply (randomly) hit or miss a peak window of solunar activity? Hmmm…
We just had a couple of weeks of nice steady weather here in northern Utah and a buddy of mine and I have had three straight killer trips to a local reservoir known for its cutthroat trout fishery. Each trip was similar in that; we were on the water for about 5-6 hours, we came away with a nice total of over-sized trout, and about 90% of the fish caught each time came during a flurry (hour-plus) of activity. And comparing those bite windows to my newly acquired solunar app… you guessed it… spot on for all three days!
Coincidence? Maybe, but I am going to start paying a little more attention to these solunar tables and peak feeding periods going forward. I just read an article by a prominent guide on Pyramid Lake that only schedules his client’s to hit on peak bite windows. If true, that’s a strong statement from someone that gets paid whether his Client’s catch fish or not, but no doubt his reputation, client list, and perhaps even his tips are strongly tied to catching fish (in a lake known for huge fish).
I did a search and found a link started by Ard back in 2010, same subject matter, but broader application: https://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/general-discussion/13605-do-you-use-solunar-tables.html?highlight=solunar+tables
For this exercise I wanted to focus squarely on trout in lakes. Curious what others think regarding some of these theories or personal experiences to support or dispute.
Sorry for the long intro… now to the point… SOLUNAR TABLES were included in every issue of In’fisherman (and other periodicals). Using sun and moon data the best DAYS and, within that, the best TIMES of the day when fish would be feeding were predicted. OK, spoiler alert on the best DAYS… it’s the day of the new and full moon for each month with diminishing returns over the three days before and after. Within every day however there are still forecasted major and minor times for peak fish activity.
As I have documented on NAFFF many times, I am a dedicated keeper of fishing journals. I have logged every trip in great detail since 1988. At one point I went back through my top 50 best trips – “best” defined as very high catch rate, or high numbers of big fish, or both. Almost 35% of those banner days occurred during a full moon phase, and another 32% came during a new moon phase. That got me thinking about the bad trips – low to NO catch rate. Only 16% of those came during a full moon period and another 25% during new moon. While I do believe that local weather and time of year play larger roles, there is no doubt – at least in my mind – that there is something to this solunar table theory.
In 2010 my angling world got flipped upside down when I moved to Utah. My seasonal gig on fly fishing was now a year round focus, and my stream/river experience of angling for coldwater species soon gave way to stillwaters. Now in my 8th year as a Utahn it feels like my transition is complete and I fish lakes for trout almost 100% of the time from ice off to ice up. There is much to love about fishing lakes for trout, most notably; the large average size of the fish, almost zero crowds to contend with, and a real sense of adventure in a new angling frontier (to me) as well as genuine adventure in the alpine lakes of the Rocky Mountain backcountry. Of course with a new approach to angling comes new, and required study materials (old habits die hard). One of the first things I noticed in stillwater trout angling literature was a reoccurring warning to AVOID full moons! WHAT? This went against everything I had learned and believed over the course of my fishing life. I later learned that most stillwater trout anglers believe this to be true. Even the casual anglers out west are tuned into the “avoid full moon” theory. A friend at work the other day – casual angler and ardent backpacker – even told me that he has concerns over their big backcountry trip planned for July because it falls across a full moon!
So why is this the case for stillwater trout? Why are the best days for fishing bass, pike, walleye, etc. be completely opposite for trout… another site-feeding predator? Some of the theories are interesting…
TROUT FEED AT NIGHT – A commonly accepted explanation is that trout feed at night during a full moon period. Understanding that many of the best trout lakes in the Rocky Mountain West are somewhat lower in elevation (5000-6500 feet ASL), it is theorized that over the summer when water temps in the shallows are reaching the uncomfortable (if not critical) levels for trout, they feed intensely at night during bright moon periods to take advantage of the cooler water temps and thus are not active during the day. OK, interesting and I cannot fully dispute that.
PLANKTON SHUTDOWN – Another, deeper theory, is that plankton (and other dark loving low food chain items) shut down during full moon phases. Especially the day of and few days following the full moon (when moonrise follows sunset). The idea here is that the tiny organisms that rely on the cover of darkness go dormant for a few days surrounding full moon and this in turn shuts down the entire food chain. Supposedly this theory has some real teeth and there are studies out there to support this. There is even the silver lining that that 4th and 5th day following a full moon feature intense feeding activity and some of the month’s best fishing opportunities.
There are others as well, but these are two that seem to come up regularly in my search for the answers.
Back to the solunar tables… one story that I came across simply stated that all things being equal (local weather influence aside), fish will actively feed for 90 minutes (to the minute) around the sunrise and sunset times, and the moonrise and moonset times. And when these periods overlap… BOOM.
I one heard Charles Meck say during a presentation that as we get older, we need to fish smarter as opposed to just fishing harder. Makes sense after all… when you’re young you’ve got plenty of time and stamina to be out on the water all day if necessary. As we get older though life gets considerably more complicated and our time on the water becomes more precious. If catching fish is important to you, then it makes sense to fish smarter. If there is a way to crop the downtime out of a fishing trip and plan better, then I am willing to explore that. For example there is a particular lake that I like to visit in the High Uintas with a healthy population of Brook and Tiger Trout. One thing about the weather during the summer out here is that it is consistent. And I have had numerous trips to this lake over the past few seasons where the weather is seemingly identical every time. No kidding, I compare them in my journal and it looks like the only changes made were to the date and results. I have had stellar 20+ fish days there and also had to scratch for 1 to avoid the skunk. The other thing that is the same over these trips… time of day. I get to the trailhead at the crack of dawn, fish to around noon, then head home. So of course it begs the question… did I simply (randomly) hit or miss a peak window of solunar activity? Hmmm…
We just had a couple of weeks of nice steady weather here in northern Utah and a buddy of mine and I have had three straight killer trips to a local reservoir known for its cutthroat trout fishery. Each trip was similar in that; we were on the water for about 5-6 hours, we came away with a nice total of over-sized trout, and about 90% of the fish caught each time came during a flurry (hour-plus) of activity. And comparing those bite windows to my newly acquired solunar app… you guessed it… spot on for all three days!
Coincidence? Maybe, but I am going to start paying a little more attention to these solunar tables and peak feeding periods going forward. I just read an article by a prominent guide on Pyramid Lake that only schedules his client’s to hit on peak bite windows. If true, that’s a strong statement from someone that gets paid whether his Client’s catch fish or not, but no doubt his reputation, client list, and perhaps even his tips are strongly tied to catching fish (in a lake known for huge fish).
I did a search and found a link started by Ard back in 2010, same subject matter, but broader application: https://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/general-discussion/13605-do-you-use-solunar-tables.html?highlight=solunar+tables
For this exercise I wanted to focus squarely on trout in lakes. Curious what others think regarding some of these theories or personal experiences to support or dispute.