How windy is too windy.

[Jsmith1990]

How windy is too windy for you to decide it might not be a great day to take your boat out? And what do you have for a boat? 

[WRB]

Open ended question, how high is up?

The body of water deterimes how wind affects it. Larger shallow lakes with wide basins are affected differently then a small ponds.

Tom

[Shimano_1]

If it's over 20mph I don't head out usually.  If I were fishing bigger water like ky lake I'd say that number would be lower. I fish a lot of smaller lakes that don't get too rough. I have a triton 18tx. Fished in 25mph winds a cple weeks ago and it wasn't fun. Never felt unsafe just hard to do much in those winds

[slonezp]

I've been out in a gale warning on Lake Michigan and it was not fun. I've been out in 40+ winds inland and it was not fun. 

The answer is relative to the water you fish. 

[WIGuide]

I'd be guessing my threshold is higher than most. There aren't very many days I've decided not to go because of wind. I've fished in 30+ plenty of times. The lakes around here aren't huge though so that helps. I have fished on Sturgeon Bay during a small craft advisory with the waves big enough that standing on the deck I could barely see over the next wave (I wouldn't suggest that). To each their own though, and if you feel conditions are unsafe, or it makes you uncomfortable stay home.

 

Ranger Sport R70

[haggard]

For me, wind sucks the joy out of fresh water fishing, regardless of boat type. If it's 15+ mph I generally don't go out, but if I do, stick to the leeward side of an island or bank, or go to a sheltered pond with steep banks.

 

[NHBull]

It depends.....I run a Lund Impact which is more of a multi-species boat.  It is tough with the wind in open areas.

Pre-Spawn usually put me on points, drop-offs and choke points....al are tough on my lake in 15 mph NW wind.  When it comes from the SW, it is easier.  S

o your answer is....."It depends"

[gim]

I have a Ranger RT178 (modified v hull) and anything over 15 mph if I'm on a sizable lake is just not much fun.  I can almost always find a secluded area that is at least somewhat out of the wind but getting to it from the access usually requires traveling across waves I don't care to.  Luckily there are smaller lakes also available and I have fished then when the wind is gusting to 35+ mph without issue.

[Bird]

I'm an extremely laid back person who can tolerate the most belligerent types of people and circumstances in stride. 

 

BUT, you should see the way I behave and the things that come out of my mouth when spinning in circles, fighting the wind in small craft.......its even magnified when wind wasn't in the forecast. 

 

10 mph is my limit. 

[FryDog62]

Over 15 mph I choose my battles, 20+ I just don’t go.  Best place to fish on a windy day is a river.  Higher banks and protected water helps...

[Tennessee Boy]

There are a lot of factors that determine how rough the water gets.  I look at the predicted wind velocity and direction and then look at the map. The more distance the wind has to blow across the water,  the bigger the waves.  I fish winding river reservoirs so there's almost always sheltered places to fish if I launch in the right place.   A 15MPH north wind on Kentucky lake can be very dangerous in places but just fine in other places.  The hills of Tennessee provide a lot of sheltered locations. The biggest thing I worry about is being 10 miles from where I launched when a 12 MPH forecast turns into a 20 MPH wind.   When the wind hits 25+,  I might be able to find a safe place to fish but boat control and casting becomes so challenging that it's not worth the effort.

 

I fish out of a Ranger RT188.

[Log Catcher]

Anything over 15MPH and I stay home. I have an older model Bass Tracker 175. Dealing with an aluminum boat and fish in strong wind is no fun for me.

[Jsmith1990]

All great responses. I know it was an open ended question and that was the point. I would have to agree that anything over 10 mph and I definitely contemplate whether is worth it. I will usually throw an anchor off the side but with one anchor sometimes you just spin in circles ?

[WRB]

Sustained wind speed over several hours is far different then wind gusts for several minutes. 

SoCal lakes are small most under 2 miles of open water basin areas. Our lakes are mostly man made reservoirs damming canyons in mountains. High wind here is predicable following a low pressure event high pressure creates compressional NE winds called Santa Ana's with sustain wind of 40 mph with gusts to 70 mph. Public lakes are closed during Santa Ana wind events because recovering launched boats risks everyone.

Seasonal afternoon winds are different, they biuld slowly from calm to white capped waves with sustained 30 mph winds. When sheep are out of the barn (white caps) you need to have the boat on the trailer or wait and fish creek arms until late afternoon hoping the wind dies down. I learned a long time ago to keep a eye out for signs of wind biulding white caps and leave quickly.

Tom

[GreenPig]

I go no matter what the winds is doing when it's warm. Now below freezing temps with 20 mph is just a bit too much. Fished 8 hours last week in constant 20 mph and 3' foot waves with gust to 40+ mph. Boat is a decked Lowe 1448 with a Minn Kota Terrova 80 lb. Spot Lock has enabled me to use the wind to my benefit. I'd rather fish heavy winds than glass conditions. 

[evo2s197]

If you have to think whether it's too windy or not best to trust your gut.

 

On the other hand if you are already out on the boat and that specific body of water is known to be hazardous when the wind starts picking up it's best to stay near the launch if you start to notice a shift in weather.

 

I've had a couple white knuckle rides back in on Clearlake, that lake can be outright dangerous at times and will sneak up on you in a hurry.

[813basstard]

When the Red Sea split, they said it was an East wind. I ain’t so sure Moses didn’t have a 3/4oz spinnerbait tied up. 
 

If they’re flying kites at the boat ramp, may want to shut’er down.

[jbsoonerfan]

Fishing in Oklahoma in the Spring time there just aren't many days where the wind doesn't blow at least 10 mph on average. I actually like a little bit of wind. When it gets to 20-30 it just isn't fun fighting it. I have spot-lock and power poles so I can manage most conditions to a certain extent.

 

Now, a January morning when it is in the low 30's, anything over 10 mph from the North and I am probably out, lol.

[Tywithay]

Kansas has an average of 20-30mph wind during the summer. If I avoid wind, I'd never fish.

[MGF]

The water I spend most of my time on never gets so rough that it's dangerous but it doesn't take much wind to make boat control miserable in my little boat.

 

I love my flat bottom boat on the river but it doesn't take much chop on the water to beat you half to death if you try to motor someplace.

 

In short...the less wind the better for me. 

[redux]

I'll go out in my kayak up to 13 assuming I can launch in an area that breaks wind. I'll go out in my boat up to 17 and go to areas that break wind.

 

We were out last night in my friend's boat in 15 sustained with 20+ gusts. Things were ok until the gusts came and blew us across half way across the cove in 5 seconds.

[scbassin]

I fish Santee Cooper so I pay attention to wind direction & speed.  I like to fish the windward side with a spinnerbait. the wind blows the bait fish into the banks. I'll go up to 25 to 30 mph but at that speed there is plenty of shelter in a large area close by the launch site. I have been caught at the lower end of the lake when the wind came up to 40+ & I was 11 miles from the landing. I fish out of a Ranger Z21 so I put it on the pad timed the waves & buy using speed, Jackplate, & trim I stayed dry. That was scary & & I now have a radio that keeps you informed on weather conditions on the water ways.  

[Catt]

Depends on the body of water & the boat I'm in ?

[Oregon Native]

When I lived in Oregon and fished the upper Columbia it got windy....many times had to work our way through the wind and whitecaps and then work our way back.   Patience and paying attention was key...did we still get wet...OH....Yeah.  Was fishing good....Oh yeah....competition.....minimal.

 

[Way north bass guy]

This is always such a varying subject with boaters. I will often pick a smaller lake to fish if it’s really blowing, but I also fish on Georgian Bay, on the east side, and our predominant winds are from the west, so you can imagine the water I’ve seen. I honestly have no issues at all with large waves/rollers, and have a ton of experience boating in them, but usually will not travel long distances in big waves just because of the extra pounding the equipment takes. That said, there’s been some fantastic days on “the bay”, catching salmon in rollers so large that when your in the bottom of the trough, all you can see is a bowl of water all around you. They are usually a good 40-50yds apart though, so they’re actually a fairly gentle swell, kind of like open ocean fishing. But I have also stood at the trolling motor casting for smallmouth in 4 footers, and it can make for a tiring day. Think “ bronco riding”, but much wetter ?. Oh yeah, I’m in a 19’ Smokercraft deep-v and used to run a Lund Pro-V 1900.