Water clarity change post ice out...

[softwateronly]

Small natural lake, 250 acres.  Small feeder creek on N end, small outlet creek on the S end.  Creek is low and slow.  Three days post ice out, water is crystal clear, 12'+ visibility.  The fourth day, clarity drops to 3'.  Lots of organic material floating on the surface and obviously suspended as well.  There was a 180 degree wind change, but it wasn't really blowing in either direction.  Was this a Spring turnover, equalizing the entire body's water temp and therefore kicking up material via convection?

 

scott

[WRB]

The lake turned over.

Tom

[papajoe222]

yep

[softwateronly]

1 minute ago, WRB said:

The lake turned over.

Tom

 

I was fooled because there were 4 real warm days in a row with sun, thought it would have minimized it.

 

scott

[A-Jay]

In the winter, most of the water under the ice is 39 Fahrenheit; however, there is a thin layer of water under the ice that is colder than 39 and therefore less dense.

This thin layer of water floats on top of the lake under the ice throughout the winter.

 

In the spring in when the ice melts off the lake, and the top layer of water on the lake gets warmed by the sun to 39 F, which matches the temperature of the rest of the lake water.

Then the spring wind picks up and the lake mixes again.  

This is called spring turnover.  

Oxygen and nutrients get distributed throughout the water column as the water mixes.

 

The timing and duration of spring turnover depends on the size and depth of the lake.  

As the weather becomes warmer in late May, the surface water warms again and begins to float on top of the cold deeper water.  Once the lake begins to form into layers, summer stratification (layering) has begun.

 

Most lakes in north are considered dimictic, meaning they mix twice a year - spring and fall.  Shallow lakes, less than 15-20 feet, behave differently and can mix more often throughout the summer.  

 

  During spring turnover, the clarity of a lake usually decreases because mixing brings up nutrient rich water from the bottom of the lake and causes the lake to look cloudy.  Also, the algae start growing due to the available nutrients, which decreases water clarity.  Then, when turnover is complete, the clarity increases. 

 

A-Jay

[GRiver]

Does fishing get better or worse during turnovers?

[softwateronly]

7 minutes ago, GRiver said:

Does fishing get better or worse during turnovers?

 

For me it tanks.  Seems like it takes a day or three, but is it the turnover or the abrupt clarity change?  Yesterday, I triggered a school with a jerkbait, and went 25ish  fish in a span of 2 hours, started slow, one here one there, finding weight on the snaps.  Then I started getting line jump and finally they were trying to take my rod and I was on a run of fish on every cast.  This was all in a pocket no bigger than 30x30yds on a break near a known spawning flat in 42 degree rain.  

 

I hopped a blade, big swimbait, small swimbait, and worked a jig through the same area during the frenzy, couldn't get a bite.  I have a few hours today, might try crankbaits as my follow up and hope to repeat it.  Open to suggestions....

 

here's the best one

 

scott