How To Locate Underwater Springs?

[leadslinger]

This is my first year fishing a local reservoir, flooded in the 1950's. While asking a local advice for striper fishing, he mentioned it wouldn't take long for me to find the underwater spring heads (and thus the stripers). I figure this lake feature would apply to large and smallmouth bass during the warmer season if they're looking for cooler water.

Does anyone have advice on how to find/identify these underwater springs? I've got a good lake map showing the old river channels, depths, foundations, etc,.

Is this something even worth looking for regarding bass fishing?

Appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks,

Bill

[WRB]

This is my first year fishing a local reservoir, flooded in the 1950's. While asking a local advice for striper fishing, he mentioned it wouldn't take long for me to find the underwater spring heads (and thus the stripers). I figure this lake feature would apply to large and smallmouth bass during the warmer season if they're looking for cooler water.

Does anyone have advice on how to find/identify these underwater springs? I've got a good lake map showing the old river channels, depths, foundations, etc,.

Is this something even worth looking for regarding bass fishing?

Spring water is usually a constant 60 degrees year around and a major factor during cold water periods as the spring water is warmer than the cold lake water. The opposite is true during the warm water periods when surface water can be above 80 degrees, spring water cools the lake water.

Keep in mind spring water is void of dissolved oxygen DO, so fish like bass that need god DO levels may not be able to stay too near a spring outlet, until the water mixes with DO being generated by green weeds or windy wave action.

Good sonar can "see" the differences in water density; colder water is more dense or heavier than warmer water. You may be able to see surface fog or lack of fog; foggy spots or clear spot in fog depending on surface water temperature if the spring water reaches the surface at a different temperature.

Thanks,

Bill

[Traveler2586]

Usually springs are the headwaters of creeks and are shown on some maps that also show creek detail. Check the map key table where they define the maps symbols, if you don't see a symbol for a spring (i.e. an *) then they're not shown on that map.

What is the name of the reservoir in question? With the name I can do some research on USGS for you.

[leadslinger]

Usually springs are the headwaters of creeks and are shown on some maps that also show creek detail. Check the map key table where they define the maps symbols, if you don't see a symbol for a spring (i.e. an *) then they're not shown on that map.

What is the name of the reservoir in question? With the name I can do some research on USGS for you.

The reservoir is Liberty, owned by the City of Baltimore. I did some USGS digging, but no luck finding spring info. I did find some cool history of the town now underwater and some neat pics. If you find anything, I'd appreciate the info.

I'll also pay more attention to the FF display as WRB mentioned, but I have entry-mid level HB finders, not sure they're up to the task.

Thanks!

[WRB]

During the summer you should be able to meter the thermocline as a dark or fuzzy gray line, if you set the sensitivity high enough; some background clutter, buy not so hight the screen is all clutter. Ounce you can see the thevthermocline a spring will look similar except like a darker cloud or dome on the bottom, like baitfish except more consistent dark color. Takes practice looking at sonar returns.

Find the bait fish, the predators should be nearby!

Tom

[Crestliner2008]

Does this lake freeze over in winter? If so, springs should be easy to spot during ice up or ice out.

[00 mod]

I am too interested in this! Anyone have a screenshot? Calling Wayne!!!!!!

Jeff

[Wayne P.]

No, I haven't been anywhere that has submerged springs.

It should show up on sonar due to the water density change though if you had the sensitivity setting high enough.

[00 mod]

I sure wish someone had this as a screenshot. I know there is at least one spring at my club that I have yet to find. I don;t know if the water temp is that much different though. It is a feed from the Mississippi river, so it should be cooler, but how much I do not know.......

Jeff

[Bassn Blvd]

I have the proper equipment and fishing hole to locate the sprind, but I'm clueless on how to read it. There is atleast 1 spring in the rock pit. I have a general idea where it is and that was based on what the owners told me.

Hey Wayne, I'll pay you 100 bucks if you come down and spend a few hours of instruction on reading my DF.

[leadslinger]

Good input on this subject, and I appreciate the info and suggestions.

The lake freezes sometimes, but no boats allowed until march. I did not know spring water lacked DO.

If I can coax the location of just one of these springs from the lake veterans, I will try to locate and get a FF screenshot, but it will likely take a while.

Thanks,

Bill

[Traveler2586]

Bill, I've been looking on USGS and found maps of liberty before it was flooded; these maps show creeks and old flooded buildings but not the lake level, and I read the remains of an old mill are still there. These maps are in PDF format, if you like I can email them to you just PM me.

[leadslinger]

Bill, I've been looking on USGS and found maps of liberty before it was flooded; these maps show creeks and old flooded buildings but not the lake level, and I read the remains of an old mill are still there. These maps are in PDF format, if you like I can email them to you just PM me.

Traveler,

If it's not a lot of work, sure, I'd like to see what you found. I found a few USGS docs, but not like what you describe. I came across a YouTube video showing pics of the old mill and town prior to being flooded. They blew up the mill, but left the houses intact.

Thanks for the help.

Bill

[Wayne P.]

I think I saw a spring yesterday near a school of bass, but I got so involved with catching that I didn't take a screen shot of it. I'll check the next time I am there to see if it really was a spring.

[mikeeasttn]

The way I find underwater springs is to go during the winter when they draw lake down to lowest point and then mark it on my GPS. I know this is not as good a method as using a map but on my home lake more fish hold around the springs that are not so deep. Also it is especially good in the winter time for the float n fly and can catch huge SM.

[Traveler2586]

Traveler,

If it's not a lot of work, sure, I'd like to see what you found. I found a few USGS docs, but not like what you describe. I came across a YouTube video showing pics of the old mill and town prior to being flooded. They blew up the mill, but left the houses intact.

Thanks for the help.

Bill

PM me your email address and I'll send them.

[Wayne P.]

You can get a general idea of their location by looking at a land topo map and follow the blue line from a creek intersection to the end as the elevation increases.

This site will allow you to switch between a satellite photo and a topo map if the lake is new enough to have a USGS survey before the lake was formed.

http://mapper.acme.com/

I use this site to make my own lake contour maps for locations that don't have lake structure maps.

I print the satellite map on plain paper, and the topo on clear translucent paper and lay the clear over the plain to get a lake structure map.

[Wayne P.]

Follow up on finding springs.

During the previous posts, I remembered seeing what could have been a spring at a new lake.

Last week I was at that lake and did some sonar searching at likely places that may have a spring. This was where I saw that possible location and it was still there. A spring runoff creek to another creek that goes directly to a river. I just followed the bottom contour which used to be a small valley and found the source. You can see the temp change echo of that colder water mixing with the lake water on the right side. Some of the "ditch" was probably a result of rain runoff from a higher elevation when the land was cleared to build the lake.

[leadslinger]

Follow up on finding springs.

During the previous posts, I remembered seeing what could have been a spring at a new lake.

Last week I was at that lake and did some sonar searching at likely places that may have a spring. This was where I saw that possible location and it was still there. A spring runoff creek to another creek that goes directly to a river. I just followed the bottom contour which used to be a small valley and found the source. You can see the temp change echo of that colder water mixing with the lake water on the right side. Some of the "ditch" was probably a result of rain runoff from a higher elevation when the land was cleared to build the lake.

Great work, and thanks for the follow-up. I haven't located any at my lake yet, but still searching.

Do you mind if I ask what kind of FF you have? My HB596 HD unit has only Down Imaging, and looks nothing like what the advertising suggests. Your imaging shot shows tons of detail. I may need to have a talk with Santa.

Thanks again.

[00 mod]

So let me get this straight., the 2 water changes on the right side, you suppose would be a spring? Did you notice any temp changes in the water when near by compared to the temp of other similar depth water?

Jeff

[Wayne P.]

That particular unit is the Humminbird 1198c SI. It does clearer images if I set it to do so. I had it set to highlight fish which adds some grainyness to the image. Which reminds me that I have to remember to change that setting to get a sharper image of something I can't find out what it is.

No there was no temp change that I noticed. If the cooler water would have been all the way to the surface, the sonar would have shown that. I took about a dozen screen shots on that end of the lake and the temp was within a tenth of a degree everywhere.

The next time I am there, I will check the water temp where that is at that level. I have a remote temp sensor thermometer.

[00 mod]

Perfect, that will tell us for sure if that is a spring or not....

Jeff

[WRB]

Been away for surgery and will try to add to Wayne P's excellent screen shot.

When you are using your electronics, trust it. The return signal clearly shows a thermal break flowing with some current. If the thermal break was parallel to the water surface located in deeper water it would be a thermocline, however this colder break is being generated from the ground ; looks like a spring to me and there are fish there!

Wayne, if you meter the cooler dense water in the same location another day, it's a spring; 60 degree water flow into 65-70 degree water at the depth of your screen would be my guess. What is important there is a thermal break and fish, possibly bass.

Tom

PS; there is a lot to learn about deep structure fishing, now you know what a flowing thermal break (spring) may look like.

[CKFishin]

If you watch the bass pro TV show there is an episode where either Evers or Horton shows how to find them and what they look like.. I may have it on dvr let me see what I can find

[leadslinger]

Thanks to everyone for the excellent feedback. For the record, I have now been officially diagnosed with Sonar ***! Santa said I better be an awfully good boy if I expect an 1100 series (or equivalent) FF under the tree this year. I wonder if my HB 596 HD DI is capable of distinguishing such a feature.

Thanks again all (especially Wayne for the screenshot)!

Bill