Bluff crappie

[straw hat]

Hit a mid lake area off a deep bluff using minnows. My wife and I caught a total of 9 keepers but it was tough fishing. Water sort of a grungy color to it with about 6 feet visibility. Was surprised by the color and lack of visibility for this time of year. water temp was 50F.

 

Whoops, almost for got to mention that we caught them 25 to 30 ft deep.

[Terrierman]

Turnover is why the grungy color.

[straw hat]

You really think so? Turnover this late in the year with the water temperature about to enter the 40's. It just seems a little late in the year for that.

[Dutch]

I saw 48° most every where I went today.

[Steve McBasser]

50* is the magic number for the lake to START turning over. It will get skanky looking and even smell weird sometimes....

[Dutch]

I thought it was 39° for the lake to begin its turn over because of the hypolimnion being 40°.

 

[fishinwrench]

Turnover either happens slowly and gradually, or it happens suddenly, depending on how drastic or how suddenly the weather pattern changes.  

A turnover caused by a hard cold rainy spell should hypothetically not put the fish off since the cool sinking water would be rich in oxygen. The adaptation period of slowing metabolism being the only thing effecting the fish.   When you begin noticing less insects flying around you can be assured that turnover (to a degree) has begun on all area lakes.  

[liphunter]

8 hours ago, Steve McBasser said:

50* is the magic number for the lake to START turning over. It will get skanky looking and even smell weird sometimes....

The same thing happened to me when I hit 50...

[Johnsfolly]

40 minutes ago, liphunter said:

The same thing happened to me when I hit 50...

I wish that I would not be able to say the same about myself.....

[straw hat]

I appreciate the input and I say this for what it is worth but when I was in graduate school (fisheries major) I learned in limnology about the density factor of water. It reaches its maximum density at 39F. Above that warmer water will be on the surface. Once the water reaches 39F it will destratify and mix. Now that matches what you have all said B UT....

 

One of the other things we learned and did on field trips was to study the effects of things like minerals, tannic acid, algae, plankton dirt particles, etc on this characteristic. In  Louisiana, where I went to school, there was a lot of tannic acid and dirt particles in the water which effected the water density. Most waters there turned over at a higher temperature (around 60F) depending on wind and rain. I guess that just stuck with me and I must have assumed that it would be the same here. Our water here would have different characteristics than Louisiana for sure.  Thanks for the 'waking me up' to this.