Can It Be Too Hot For Fish To Be Active??

[CiMo]

I've beennunder the impression fishnare a lot more active in warmer weather, but can the water temp be too hot for them to be active? I searched and didn't find anything in the forums. Thanks for indulging the new kid.

[flyfisher]

In my experience it can be different to catch bass when it is pretty hot but at the same time bass are cold blooded so the warmer the water the more food that is needed for them to survive because there metabolism is higher.

 

I have caught fish when surface temps were high 80's but you need to find the areas where they are as warmer water generally doesn't hold as much oxygen.  This is where finding moving water or shady areas are key.

[Paul Roberts]

Yes. Fish operate within a temp range. The roughest designations are coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Didnt check water temp but last year it was hot for quite some time and still caught fish in mid day 12-4pm  100+ heat.

 

Here a thread of what I used.

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/104503-kinami-palm-tree-to-beat-the-heat/

[CiMo]

I live in sc temps in the summer hit mid 90s on average in summer... and plenty of days with 100+ temps on land.. been swimming in daysnlike that and the water felt like a hot tub..

[K_Mac]

I don't know the biology, but very warm water can slow the bite. That is not to say fish can't still be caught. Last summer in the middle of an historic heat wave, a friend and I caught fish in very shallow muddy water deep in the brush. The only reason we tried there was that we could not buy a bite in the deeper water that normally produces fish in hot weather. I have caught fish from the local power plant cooling lake in water that was well over 100 degrees surface temp. Very hot temps slow me more than the fish anymore...

[dodgeguy]

in the middle of the summer when it's hot try night or early morning fishing.

[slonezp]

Yes, But it can also be a benefit. 80+ degree water temps, 90+ degree air temp, bluebird skies, and shallow lakes, can be for easy pickings. Any type of shade has potential. I have caught my biggest bass either at daybreak or between noon and 2:00. The fish will definitely become more active as the sun sets but there is no reason a well placed bait won't catch fish in the heat of the day.

[mjseverson24]

as water temps warm up the fish become more active, but when the water reaches the mid 80's to 100 degrees they become more oportunistic, and probabily wont chase down baits for very long or far. early in the morning and late in the evening might produce some chasers, but durring the day flippin and pitchin to shallow water cover is great and also football jigs on the ledges can also be very productive.

 

 

Mitch

[monsters]

warm water contains less oxygen than cold water, so the fish tend to get lethargic.  so when the water temps get in to the 80's look for moving water, areas getting wind blown and/or vegetation. these areas that contain more oxygen than the overall lake levels will produce far more quality fish...

[Ratherbfishing]

warm water contains less oxygen than cold water, so the fish tend to get lethargic.  so when the water temps get in to the 80's look for moving water, areas getting wind blown and/or vegetation. these areas that contain more oxygen than the overall lake levels will produce far more quality fish...

 

Ditto.  Really warm water will distress fish.  Windblown areas and thick surface vegitation and "slop"  which blocks the sunlight (where the oxygen levels are higher) will often hold more fish.

[Silas]

Well, I don't know about the fish, but I become less active when the temps reach about 95 degrees here in South Louisiana.  And, living here all my life, I've grown "gills" because it's so humid also.

 

     On the other hand, I fish from 6 AM till 10AM.   Thats about it.  If you wait till late in the evening, the water is too hot.  Mostly shallow bayous where I am.....2-12 feet.

 

That's one of the reasons I chose to LIVE on the water!   Makes it easy to just walk to the boat and get in.....fishing in 5 minutes. 

[MarkH024]

warm water contains less oxygen than cold water, so the fish tend to get lethargic.  so when the water temps get in to the 80's look for moving water, areas getting wind blown and/or vegetation. these areas that contain more oxygen than the overall lake levels will produce far more quality fish...

x2

 

Really hot water will kill a bite.  Search for underwater springs if your lake has them. Usually springs are listed on a map from the DNR.

[WRB]

Since bass do not live in air, the air temperature has little to do with the water temperature at the depth the bass are living.

The critical factor with water temperature is the content of dissolved oxygen (DO) the water contains during hot or cold seasonal periods. The water temperature bass prefer is 70 degrees and they will seek that temperature as the water warms by staying deeper.

85 degrees is about the upper limit for bass as DO levels fall below 3 mg/L and 39 degrees the lower limit as the DO rises above 12 mg/L Wind and green aquatic weeds increase DO levels during the day light and one reason bass will move under weed mats that provide cooler shaded water and with good DO levels.

The bottom line is it can be too hot for bass anglers to be active, the bass can move to cooler water.

Tom

[Bankbeater]

Last year when we had a stretch of 100 degree plus days you either had to go down deep, or fish at night.

[wisconsin heat]

I'm not sure. I will try asking the fish when the ice is off the lakes! .......

[SirSnookalot]

Don't know about the bass but it's too hot for me. I'm sticking with ocean breezes until November.

[emjaysmit]

Yes water can be too warm, remember they are cold blooded and cannot regulate their own body temp...water does this for them, warmer water is good but I have found that once water temp sores over 27 degrees celcius the bite dies down and you have to slow down your presentation. Simple example, we have a tank in our shop with a bass in...we accidentally left the tank heater too high and water temp was 29 degrees celcius, old Larry our bass just sat there while we added 5 snack offerings to him....he was hardly moving and was a very pale colour and fins flat...we tried everything and all the fish remained...for three days this wen't on till I noticed the water was at 29 degrees...went next door to the liquor store, baught a packet of ice, turned the heater down, chucked in the ice and the water temp dropped to a steady 23 degrees celcius...almost immediately Larry changed to a bright colour and the black marks on his lateral line became apparent, shortly after this his dorsal fin sprouted and he started moving around. 15 Minutes later he started feeding off the fish offerings like there was no tomorrow. If this is not proof enough then I don't know....

[bighed]

Sorry, warm water does not kill the fishing. I've had many 100 plus fish days on Falcon during the summer where surface temps are mid 90's and air temps are over 100 by 9 AM

[Wayne P.]

If the body of water you fish gets a thermocline in hot weather, the thermocline level will be in the 70 degree range and below the thermocline it will be in the 50's.

Very easy and productive pattern to use in hot weather.

The thermocline is at about the 20' level in this image:

 

 

Some systems have multipule thermociines that different species relate to.

[BuckMaxx]

I grew up on Table Rock.Where at times water temp would touch 90 degrees. During those times we would find shad off main lake points and fish a jigging spoon.Sometimes supended over 60 feet of water. Most of us locals wouldn't fish the days. We'd go at night...armed with big black spinnerbaits with Thumper Copper Colorado blades.