Whatwater Temp Do You Consider To Be Cold Water ?

[Feathers and Fins]

Oh I wouldn't fish for one species in the cold but then again I am a multispecies angler. People who target one species are missing out. And also being a duck hunter the ride in the boat ( not trailering ) is a great way to find birds Oh and lets not forget this time of year when its cold getting to watch Bald Eagles pick off some fish is well worth the day out even if you never get a bite.

[Guest]

For largemouth it's 47 degrees, smallmouth & crappie 42 degrees, it's never too cold for trout

[Quillback]

Thankfully we don't have to worry about ice fishing.

[J-Doc]

Thankfully we don't have to worry about ice fishing.

Well we didn't until you said it.......

Watch we Will have up to 8-12" of ice again this year on Beaver. Had at least 6" last January in some coves.

[Feathers and Fins]

Thankfully we don't have to worry about ice fishing.

Thanks for the Jinx

[Quillback]

Come on now, how many people get to ice fish for stripers?

[Old plug]

It is a puzzel around my dock here about the crappie and the low water temperature. I have caught trappie with slush ice in the dock. You would think that they would be holding around the brush on sunny sides of the dock. But in truth they they will get under the middle walkway of my 30x30 ft double stall dock where the sun never shine. If I can make them bite at all that is where they will be.

[Wayne SW/MO]

While every species has it's limits, I've always used 50 as a guide. Obviously there is some leeway, but this isn't far off in my opinion.

[Norm M]

the articles all pertained to largemouth and smallmouth bass, should have said that . no mention of how they took the water temps, wouldn't be surprised if surface temps were what they went by .

I am primarily a river smallmouth fisherman, for that species , in my view cold water is below 40 degrees . For other species I fish for like walleye and pike. I feel they are more active than smallmouth in that temperature range .

sorry for the lack of clarification on the initial post. that's what happens when I've been up since 0400 .

[Old plug]

Norm ----A lot of people post on here in the spring asking what the water temperature of a lake is. Water temperatures are not that simple to state on a large body of water. It can be one thing one place and something else within a few yards. This is very common occurance on LOZ. Water temperature in the 40s can climb to near 60 over large boulders protected from wind. That is what happens every year here on LOZ. That is one of the reasons for the popularity of the North Shore area in early spring. And in the heat of summer the wate temperature under docks is a lot cooler. I would not let the stated temperature for a lake to stop me from fishing.