What Is A Reef?

[wapsi smallmouth]

I hear people talking about these a lot especially in Minnesota, so is it just like a rock flat?

[gobig]

In fresh water a reef is generally made up of rocks.

[RoLo]

Loosely speaking, 'any' defined ridge, hump or sunken island may be called a 'reef'.

 

Just as there are natural and artificial lakes, there are also 'natural' and 'artificial' reefs.

Natural reefs generally consist of shellbeds, coral, coquina or rock.

The reason being, hard materials are slow to erode and hold a defined crest indefinitely.

'Manmade' reefs run the gamut of materials, which might include broken concrete from bridges & roads,

railroad cars, scuttled boats, discarded tires, PVC piping, brush piles, Christmas trees, ad nauseam.

 

Roger

[wapsi smallmouth]

So when someones talking about fishing a reef, it is technically a hump or ridge?

[gobig]

So when someones talking about fishing a reef, it is technically a hump or ridge?

 

 

That is pretty much it. A reef is a ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface. Like Rolo said reefs can also be man made. The term reef is general. 

[Penguino]

So when someones talking about fishing a reef, it is technically a hump or ridge?

It usually just an underwater ledge or indentation in the rocks. In saltwater, reefs look much more different than in freshwater.

[SirSnookalot]

I've looked into this

http://eternalreefs.com/

[Catt]

Roger's definition is what I use

[RAMBLER]

If'n that hook don't come loose from that log, purty soon, I'm fixin' to reef on it.

 

 

(the devil made me do it)

[RipzLipz]

I hear people talking about these a lot especially in Minnesota, so is it just like a rock flat?

 

These satellite images are taken from a MN/CA border lake that I've fished in the past.  The first 2 are what the locals referred to as reefs (as already mentioned, some folks may call a few of the areas I circled saddles, points, sunken islands or rock piles).  The last image is of 2 rock piles - I call them that because that's what they were - piles of rocks.  The other formations in the first 2 images were a granite type of formation with loose rocks scattered on top of them.  I feel these terms are pretty much like bluegill/bream, crappie/specs, etc.

 

Reefs:

 

Rock Piles:

 

The glacial lakes up in that area have lots of "stringy" points, reefs, sunken islands - you get a good feel for them when you're on the water and seeing the shorline or islands in person.  Say you see 3 islands, all in a straight line and 100-200 yards of water lies between them.  There's a good chance that a peak, saddle, reef, ridge will form between those 3 islands - some may even come up and form a flat, as you mentioned.  There's also a good chance that a flat might form off the shorline of one of the islands if you see large boulders sticking up out of the water anywhere from a few feet to several yards off the shoreline.

 

As a side note, the 2 rock piles would attract larger spawning smallmouth year after year after year (which we released to finish their ritual). Also taught me a big lesson about not always pounding the banks in search of larger fish.

[Bobby Uhrig]

well the southerners tell me that they put them on their front doors or windows around Christmas time  

[roadwarrior]

well the southerners tell me that they put them on their front doors or windows around Christmas time  

 

We have spring, summer and fall "reefs", too!

 

 

 

[WRB]

When I first started to fish in Canada the locals used the term reef to discribe shallow underwater rock structures that could damage your prop. Some reefs had bouy markers and you need to know what side of the marker the reef is located. If the "reef" was deeper than a few feet it was no longer considered a reef.

Local definitions of terms differ, a reef can be a shoal, bar, rock pile or solid structure that raises above the bottom.

Rogers definition is good.

Tom

[Bobby Uhrig]

Ok I will give you the definition of a reef.

"A fish magnet "

[RoLo]

Ok I will give you the definition of a reef.

"A fish magnet "

 

More like a "lure magnet"  ;-)

[Bobby Uhrig]

SHHHH Im trying to make a living here LOL