Author Topic: Thermoclines  (Read 3907 times)

Offline Venzulo

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Thermoclines
« on: Nov 07, 2003, 08:55 AM »
Has anyone had luck targeting certain thermoclines in the winter for Lakers? How about other fish? Do you know of any articles about it?Thanks.-V  :'(
-V

Offline Fishrmn

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #1 on: Nov 07, 2003, 11:46 AM »
Venzulo,
I've never seen lakers stick to a thermocline.  At Fish Lake in Utah, they range from roughly 40 feet deep to the bottom, which is 120 feet.  There are splake in there too, and they do tend to stick to a specific depth.  They are almost always found at 42 feet.  I haven't checked to see if there is a thermocline.  It may be disolved oxygen that keeps them at that depth.  But if I see fish at 42 feet, I can count on them being splake.

At another reservoir the trout (mostly rainbows) are at 19 feet.  We fish for perch in 35 feet, and reel up to the trout when they swim through the transducer cone.

One reservoir around here is good for trout at 20 feet at first ice.  Then as time goes by they move shallower and shallower.  I've been told by the DWR that it is because the oxygen gets depleted at the deeper depths, and the fish are following the oxygen.

Good luck,
Fishrmn
Fishrmn

"I tolerate with the utmost latitude the right of others to differ from me in opinion." Thomas Jefferson

kjay

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #2 on: Nov 07, 2003, 01:07 PM »
I am with you on this fishermn.  I fish for lakers on Lake Simcoe and Temagami, in Ontario. And the lakers are mostly on the ver bottom maybe 2 - 3 feet of bottom there.

Kjay

Offline TGF

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #3 on: Nov 07, 2003, 07:12 PM »
"IN FISHERMAN" has a good trophy laker video. I fish in a local lake that has depths reaching 320ft and have yet to catch anything that deep. Catch most of my lakers in 60-80ft of h20 in winter. In summer of course they go deep so have less area to roam as they do like the cold h20. Late fall is a good time to connect as well as first 2 weeks after ice-off in the upper h20 column.

AdkGuidesForHire

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #4 on: Nov 07, 2003, 07:55 PM »
here in northern NY we shortcut by turning our sonar graphs allthe way up, they will show the thermocline, most actively feeding fish are in the upper edge of the thermocline into the lower eaches of the epilimnion.

many people think that the hypolimnion, or lowest layer is void of oxygen and at cetain times of the year this may be true.

The biggest thing to consider when thinking stratification is the idividual lake itself, they are not all the same.

depth, wind action, inlets and feeders all play major roles in how a lake 'breathes'.

I live on an good laker lake of 5700 acres and it varies greatly year to year, some years we have an abrupt turnover, other years it's hardly noticed, the thermocline is 7 feet thick, then it's 19 feet thick.

other than knowing the lake very well you're best bet is to get a good LCD depth finder with variable sensitivity, crank it up and see what it looks like down there, combined with temp readings at different levels you'll figure out if there is a thermocline, how thick it is and where it is.

then fish just above the top of the thermocline .

you find thermoclines in the ocean as well.

Offline slice_o_life

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #5 on: Nov 10, 2003, 09:12 AM »
  the thermocline is  an area of  rapidly changing temperature in a stratified lake. lake trout will  be in what ever layer of water that is at the temperature that they prefer. in lake ontario they suspend in the middle of summer over deep off shore water,while in lake erie they are found glued to the bottom.
 it all depends on the temp at that specific depth.
   during the hard water season the water is below lakers summer comfort zone so the lakers in each body of water will react different.

Offline salmotrutta

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #6 on: Nov 12, 2003, 02:14 AM »
I believe a thermocline does not exist in the winter.The water temp is a constant 32 degrees until you get to the bottom which is 34 degress.If you can find some underwater springs the water coming in will be about 50 degrees.

Offline Venzulo

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #7 on: Nov 12, 2003, 08:06 AM »
I believe a thermocline does not exist in the winter.The water temp is a constant 32 degrees until you get to the bottom which is 34 degress.If you can find some underwater springs the water coming in will be about 50 degrees.

Do you believe that fish suspend at certain depths for a particular reason? Oxygen maybe? Is there any way to target these depths w/o a fish finder?-V
-V

Offline Bob_D

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #8 on: Nov 12, 2003, 08:19 AM »
Venzulo,
The reason they suspend is bait.....The bait fish schools are at differing depth depending on where thier food is. That may depend on light, disolved oxygen levels, current, or other factors.

As I said before...I don't believe there is enough temperature stratification in the winter to cause a true "thermocline".

JMO


Offline Venzulo

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #9 on: Nov 12, 2003, 08:44 AM »
Bob, all of New England knows what you think, I was asking Salmotrutta! ;) -V
-V

Offline Hard_H2O

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #10 on: Nov 12, 2003, 09:19 AM »
I believe that the maximum water temperature in winter is 39°F. That will be near the bottom. Water is at it's densest at that temperature. Pick up a copy of the In-Fisherman Icefishing Annual. They have a good article on the subject.

The following is from:
http://www.hickorytech.net/~jbusby/basics.html

Water is most dense at 39.2
degrees F. Sooo... in any lake that is *completely* frozen,
the warmest water in the lake will be 39.2 degrees, and it
will be on the bottom of the lake. The water temp in a
frozen lake will range from 32 degrees (the water immediately
under the ice) to 39.2 degrees (the water at the bottom of the
lake). Fish, being cold-blooded, will congregate where it is
most comfortable (warmest).

Offline Bob_D

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Re:Thermoclines
« Reply #11 on: Nov 12, 2003, 01:47 PM »
Hard H2O,
I have an article about ice formation on my site as well....Ice fishing section.."How ice forms"

Venzulo,
I know everybody in NEW ENGLAND knows.....I just wanted to make sure the rest of the country knows. ;)  ;D

 



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