Disturbing Trend

[Phil Lilley]

http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/Wcds/Plots/TRDO.jpg

Anyone notice the rise in water in? In just a few days, Taney's incoming flow has risen one degree. 56 is pretty high for this time of year. As I said earlier in the summer, our trout, especially browns, are going to be super stressed by these conditions as the fall season approaches.

DO is already down to 4 ppm which isn't surprising. The mix of high temps and low DO will play havoc on big browns at rest, not to mention browns hook and fought... some unfortunately to their deaths.

[Phil Lilley]

Sit down for class--

Our temp always rises in the fall. Summer warms the water all thru the lake but what's different about this year is all the warm rain we got in April. There was one event where runoff from Long Creek hit the dam, mixing the water all the way below the 130 foot level- that's where we get our water from. That's why we had dirty water for most of the summer. Table Rock's layers of water virtually mixed, replacing winter, cold water with warm spring rain runoff. Now instead of water on the bottom of Table Rock measuring 45-49 degrees (normal) it's in the mid 50's. We usually get a 5-7 degree bump in the fall but we may see even more- not sure. But even temps in the lower 60's will be tough on trout, especially browns. Browns can take warmer temp compared to rainbows BUT they stress easier than rainbows and the stress will kill a brown faster than physically tiring it out.

DO- I have several articles and lots of posts on low DO in the fall on this site. It's a "natural" occurrence on all tailwaters and something we "suffer" thru each year. Combine the two and you have a deadly mix.

This weekend is the drawdown so you may not get to the dam in a pontoon not because of high water but because of low water. We'll just have to see what happens. But regardless, any traffic above our place will be tougher than normal. Water will be very low.

[Guest kevinkirk]

We just want a ride up and down the river. What does a pontoon rent for? How much? And how do I get to YOUR place Lilley?

I get the water temp deal now. I dove the darn and it was so cold below thermocline. Several years ago of course.

Another dumb question. There is a line across the river near the hatchery. Is that as far as youcan go upstream toward the dam>?

Can I use a remote control boat to take my line farther up the river toward the dam past this line?

[BlueWave]

Are the temp dynamics different on a tailwater vs. freestone? The white River twaters are much colder than the streams I fish in Co. On the Ark the caddis wont hatch until water temp gets into low 50's around mid-April. Is it the dissolved O2 that is the problem?? I have always wondered if something caused water temp to stay in 50's would you see fishable mayfly/caddis hatches on these tailwaters.

[Phil Lilley]

Kevin- no fishing above the line- by remote or otherwise.

http://lilleyslanding.com You'll find rates and directions.

Blue- Not sure about your first question. Maybe someone else can answer.

We get a few mayflies and lots of midges. I've been told it's a temp issue. The White has great hatches. Not sure what the diff is between us and them. About the same temps and flows.

[Dave Cook]

My guess is the April inflow had to displace all the cold water at the bottom of the reservoir. That is why Taneycomo is “enjoying” such high water temperatures. The up-side to this will be a higher growth rate for the trout in Taneycomo this year. The down-side is if they ever stop releasing water during warm weather during daylight hours, I would expect the water temperatures soar upward at least as far up-lake as Lilley’s. So it looks like the low 50's will be as cold as it will get this year.

It may take a whole winter to get the water temperatures back down to the 45-49 range in Table Rock at the intake levels.

[bigredbirdfan]

At least with the most rain in a year I can remember we have also enjoyed the mildest summer temperatures I can remember. The last heat wave the only heat of the summer, or I would guess the situation would have been worse. Nice mild temperatures or an early fall would certainly help out.

[Project Healing Waters]

The warmer the water, the lower the DO...all other things being equal.

However, temperature is neither the only thing impacting DO, nor is it a problem for trout below 70 degrees. But the water coming through TRD has decent DO at very cold temps and poor DO as soon as it starts to warm a few degrees. It is a correlation, not necessarily a causative relationship.

Brown and Rainbow trout can handle much warmer water than is in the upper end of Taneycomo. But they can't deal with the low DO. That's like us trying to live in a thin atmosphere. They don't get enough O2. Thus, exertion wears them out very quickly. Lactic acid builds quickly in fish when they are trying to escape the hook. With low DO, this happens faster...more severely. This build-up of lactic acid can be fatal to fish. For us, it makes our muscles sore. Low DO also causes them to move less to feed and slows digestion. Keep that up for long enough, and fish starve.

It is correct that in most trout streams around North America, the water temps are considered "ideal" in the mid-50's to mid-60's. But that is because of higher base-line levels of DO at those temps. The cold water coming off of the bottom of our lakes and thus through our dams into our tailwater trout fisheries is comparatively oxygen-depleted. Thus, a minor change in temp of that water changes its oxygen-bearing capacity enough to turn that water from good trout water to poison.

[twosets]

I assume we should use this information in the following ways:

Use as heavy of line and leader as possible

Get the trout to the boat asap

Revive and release fish as quickly as you can

[Nighthawk]

http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/Wcds/Plots/TRDO.jpg

Anyone notice the rise in water in? In just a few days, Taney's incoming flow has risen one degree. 56 is pretty high for this time of year. As I said earlier in the summer, our trout, especially browns, are going to be super stressed by these conditions as the fall season approaches.

DO is already down to 4 ppm which isn't surprising. The mix of high temps and low DO will play havoc on big browns at rest, not to mention browns hook and fought... some unfortunately to their deaths.