Low Water

[Ridge151]

When a lake is pulled down 5ft what is the best way to find fish, and will this cause them to suspend more than usual?

[roadwarrior]

Welcome aboard!

Fish structure in deeper water. The fish that are relating to structure in deeper water are not effected by low water.

[Grey Wolf]

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What RW said.

[justfishin]

I think if you have a good area it can still be good after a drawdown. The fish just relate to different structure within the same area. Maybe the next drop off down or maybe the edge of a near by creek channel or even some other wood, rock or sunken islands near by. I know at Deep Creek Lake in MD, in which is just up the road from me, the drawdown is pretty significant and continues to a degree because the local ski resort uses a a lot of water from this lake for making snow. I tend not to leave my productive seasonal areas just because  of the draw down. I have been filing in my head, over the years, new places in the same areas. Again, it reverts back to spending time on the water. You build on these things over the years. It takes time on the water to put together these many puzzles. Good luck.

[NJfishinGuy]

well i know some lakes by me arent as deep maybe 6-10ft at most and if they draw them down or we have a drought the lakes get down pretty far. like others said just look for new structure in the water you have. i know sometimes we dont have option of deep unafected structure

[Guest avid]

Alot of our lakes here in Florida are way low due to drought conditions.  I'm finding bass in the deepest holes.  But dern if there ain't always some godduns relating to the bank no matter where that might be.

[RoLo]

When a lake is pulled down 5ft what is the best way to find fish, and will this cause them to suspend more than usual?

This seems to confuse a lot of fishermen.

A drop in the pool level should not have any influence on suspension, and no influence on fish depth either.

If the main biomass of bass were found in water that was 5 feet deep and the pool level was lowered 5 feet,

more than likely, the main biomass will still be 5 feet deep. Quite obviously, their location would not be the same

because the location of the "5-foot contour line" is now farther offshore.

In the 5-foot example, bass living shallow and bass living deep would both be affected exactly the same...by five feet.

Roger

[Catt]

This year Toledo Bend was 11 feet below normal pool, the key depth for finding bass is normally 15 feet. The bass are still relating to the shore line & the ridges, the humps, the drop offs, ECT in 15 foot.

The only real change is all my GPS locations are now useless  :'(

[Ridge151]

Thanks for the input , I'll remember it the next time I get on the water.

[Hawgin]

The only good thing I have found so far about the water levels being so low is that it has allowed me to mark a few spots of cover that I didn't know were there on my maps.  Good info to have when the water levels go back up.