Lakes Turning Over Yet?

[BD]

Yesterday at the lake it sure looked like it was in the process of turning over. The lake has been ft down for a while. Water temps were around 66.7+ and it raised the lake a ft or more. I guess it could have been all the rain we've had has stirred the lake up, but I ran all over that lake, and everywhere I went there were nasty leaves coming up and the lake was brown (normally the lake is green and pretty clear)

I saw bass all sitting out in the main channels around 17-29ft and suspended it looked like. I didn't see any late spawners, but again the water was murky too. The wind was around 8-10mph all day, and this lake is almost 200 acres. Do you think it's turning or rain really stirred up a 200 acre lake.....everywhere?

[Wayne P.]

There may be a few lakes in South America going through the turn-over process now. ;D

[Banor]

There may be a few lakes in South America going through the turn-over process now. ;D

What he said!  

B

[BD]

So it's rain????

[KenDammit28]

you guys do know that lakes can turn over in the spring, right?

Over the course of a winter, the surface layer of water(in places where lakes usually freeze) will be colder than the water below it.  Ice is less dense than water that is 39 degrees farenheit.  So, the water underneath the ice is actually warmer than the surface.  Anyway, when spring comes, the colder surface water will definitely be turned over with the rest of the water to create an even temperatured water for a short time until the longer days of sunlight heat the water and create the stratification that occurs each summer.

[frogtog]

All the lakes in NC that I fish have already turned over. 8-)

[BD]

I knew lakes could turn in spring too, hence why I was asking. I was more wondering about what temp. would 'make' the lake start it's process. a big lake like this.....it would take A LOT of rain to muddy it up all over the lake.

[BASS fisherman]

According to what I have read, lakes DO NOT technically "turn-over" in the spring time.

I took this from an article here on BassResource.com:

Fall and early winter cooling produces uniform temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels. We refer to this inversion as a "turnover."

Turnovers are the principal sources of mixing nutrients and oxygen into the deeper water. In winter, water temperature becomes homogenous, nearly the same from top to bottom. In lakes that freeze at the surface, the deeper water is actually warmer than the water at the surface, the surface ice insulating the bottom layer from sometimes bitterly cold air temperatures. Come spring, sunshine heats the surface layers, gradually warming the upper until a strong warm-season stratification pattern sets up again, and the cycle is complete.

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/destratification.html

IMO, it sounds like the wind and rain has stirred up the water, making it muddy. Happens every spring. Granted it is called turn over, the lakes in spring don't turnover like they do in fall. The surface temperature heats the lower water levels which is called convection.

Convection is the internal movement of currents within fluids (i.e. liquids and gases). It cannot occur in solids due to the atoms not being able to flow freely. Convection may cause a related phenomenon called advection, in which mass or heat is transported by the currents or motion in the fluid. In the case where the advected substance is heat, the heat itself may cause fluid motion, so the problem of heat transport (and transport of other substances in the fluid due to it) may become quite complicated.

Differential heating of fluids may itself cause convection in a gravity field, due to variations in density due to a transfer of heat and subsequent fluid expansion, combined with differential buoyancy forces on the different parts of fluid which have differing densities. This type of purely heat-driven convection in gravity fields is sometimes referred to as "natural heat convection," in order to distinguish it from various types of forced heat convection (i.e., heat advection not due to buoyancy of heating). In forced heat convection, transfer of heat is due to movement in the fluid from forces other than heat, such as pumps or natural and artificially-driven mechanically-pushed fluid flows (i.e., flow from external motive forces, such as occurs in rivers or pumps). In addition, buoyancy forces in gravity fields which result from sources of density variations in fluids other than those produced by heat, such as variable composition (for example, salinity), are frequent convection causes.

I could be wrong, but this is what I have read.  

[KenDammit28]

lakes do techinically turn over in the spring.  Its just the physics of how ice and water work and how densities work.

The cold water(ice) on the top in the winter is less dense than the warmer water underneath.  As the ice melts and the water heats up and the temperature between top and bottom equalize, you will have a turn because the water will all be the same density.  A strong wind that pushes up a current will cause the water to mix rapidly and then you get the results of a turnover.  

[BASS fisherman]

True, but that isn't a literal "turnover", and calling it a turnover is a bit of a stretch.

During the summer, lake water stratifies into three zones. The epilimnion, or upper layer, is the warmest and contains the greatest amount of dissolved oxygen. The thermocline, or middle layer, is lower in temperature and dissolved oxygen. The hypolimnion, or lower layer, has the coolest temperature and least (perhaps little or no) dissolved oxygen. Because of the low oxygen levels and the decaying matter at the bottom of many lakes, most gamefish avoid the lower layer or at least the deeper parts of it. In the fall, when the average air temperature is lower than the water's surface, the temperature in the upper zone declines and mixing takes place. Cold water is denser than warm water, so newly cooled surface water sinks to deeper levels. This causes a mixing of the water throughout the zones, and eventually the zones disappear. When the water column mixes completely, the temperature is virtually the same from top to bottom. This phenomenon is the actual turnover. Complete mixing may take several weeks to occur, or it may occur very quickly. A severe cold front can drop surface temperature dramatically, perhaps even 10 degrees in virtually a day's time; this hastens turnover. There is a disagreement as to whether wind plays a role in turnover. Although wind doesn't cause turnover, some biologists say that wind aids the mixing. In any case, the mixing often causes new turbidity in the water for a while. You may also notice suspended leaves and other matter in the water, the result of decaying bottom matter that was in the lower zone being dispersed through all levels.

FISH ON THE MOVE: Once a lake has stabilized after the turnover, fishing improves markedly. With the water now cooling down, bass move out of deeper water and into the shallows where they are more accessible to anglers. This is especially noticeable in large southern lakes and warm summer surface temperatures. Nutrient or plankton dispersal caused by turnover stimulates baitfish activity, and all fish will be feeding actively to build energy reserves for the approaching winter. Also, bass are more likely to be active throughout the day due to less potent sunlight. With all these factors working in the angler's favor, the post turnover can be an excellent time to catch bass. But you must do more than simply rush into the shallows and start fishing any available cover. Shallow cover near deep water is particularly worthwhile, especially if it is abundant or thick. Various types of plants, like reeds, milfoil, lily pads, and hydrilla, provide good places to fish and will hold bass until they start to decay and turn brown. You should also fish creeks and coves, since bass often follow bait there. Start at the mouth and fish your way farther in. Points at the edge of, or leading into, these places are often very productive, as they serve to funnel bait. Main lake points also see the passage of many fish, and they're even better if they're near deep water. If the lake has not yet fully stabilized, don't overlook deeper water since fish may be roaming. Trolling is an effective technique if fish are scattered, so don't be afraid to give it a shot.

LARGE LURES: Often water becomes clearer after the fall turnover, so when selecting lures, go for a natural looking appearance. Plug patterns that resemble shad (or alewife or shiner), bluegills, yellow perch, or crayfish, depending on the environment, are good bets instead of more exotic lures. These patterns are especially productive if they have a sparkling or glittering appearance to produce flash that suggests a moving baitfish. Baitfish are generally big this time of year, so this is a good opportunity to fish larger lures. Try plugs that weigh 1/3 to1/2 ounce and minnow plugs that are 4 to 6 inches long. Minnow bodied plugs that float and dive work well as surface lures, especially for morning fishing, and suspending models are good for subsurface stop and go twitching, Popping or chugging surface plugs are likewise effective, especially in lakes with lots of baitfish activity. If bass are active, you can use fast moving lures. Crankbaits are great for fall fishing; midrange divers are standard, though some places and situations will call for deep runners. But if bass aren't active, or when the action slows, turn to slower and more careful presentations. Soft jerkbaits (single or twin tailed soft bodies) fished in a slow, subsurface twitching motion work well around submerged like grass, brush, and stumps, often catching fish that ignore faster retrieved lures. While spinnerbaits that are slow rolled over objects or dropped along deeper edges of cover may be productive at this time, another good choice would be crankbaits and jigs. Try a jig and pig where the bank is steep, especially if lined with rocks or logs or treetops near deeper water. If bass are shallow but in thick cover, a flipped or pitched jig is prime. Fish it around docks, pilings, and blinds.

SPRING TURNOVER: Turnover is sometimes a spring phenomenon, although only in northern lakes. Calling what happens in spring a turnover is a bit of a stretch; it often does not have the same water disturbing effect as fall turnover. In frozen lakes, water directly beneath the ice is nearly 32 degrees and dense. When longer days and warmer air temperature melt the ice, the densest water sinks, the wind helps mix the water, and the water column becomes a uniform temperature. Soon surface water and shallow areas warm quickly and become very attractive to fish. They may mix, but the term turnover is not correct.

[BASS fisherman]

You can call a dog a chicken all you want, but it still don't make it a chicken.  

[frogtog]

They been turning over in the spring for me for the past 35 years. Call it what you want but my Dad said it was turning over and that is good enough for

me.

[llPa1nll]

Im from NH and I have never heard of lakes turning over in the Spring. I was under the impression that in the winter the water is the same temp throughout the lake deep or shallow. When the Ice melts and the weather warms that the water on the top of the lake warms and then you start to have a formation of a thermocline.

[senile1]

It sounds like you're all saying pretty much the same thing.  In the Spring the water does mix until it is an equal temperature just as it does in the Fall, but it is usually not as extreme as the fall turnover.   Most of the articles I've read about this call it turnover, but I guess it's a matter of semantics.  Whatever you call it, it is what it is.