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Posts: 357
Location: Long Prairie, Minnesota | I know i have been reading different places that with the cooler weather and water temps dropping, that the muskies will start to slide up into shallower water and get ready for the feedbag to be put on in prep for winter. Question is...........what do the water temps have to drop to before this "slide" starts to happen? Are we talking water temps into the low 60's? Fished the other night and water temps were pretty consistent at 71, but I am assuming still to warm? |
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Posts: 1399
Location: Brighton CO. | September has been known as the month the fish move shallow, Not sure of the exact temperature to bring them shallow the thing we want as fishermen is that it drops slowly. If the water goes up in temp we might as well cast in the parking lot at the resort. This time of year is a transition period and fishing can be great or really bad. |
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Posts: 1247
Location: Walker, MN | From what I've seen, a warm sunny day will push them back out. I try to take full advantage of cooler mornings and cloudy days in September. With a NW wind and cooler temps, the deer will be moving, the ducks flying, and muskies much more active throughout the day. If it's a nice sunny day, we'll fish off of weedlines and structure with slow presentations...hope for a bite or two. Hot weather or hot muskies, pick one. |
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Location: PA Angler | From what I hear is that Muskie love water temps at 70*. |
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Posts: 159
| Where I am in MN, temps have cooled some recently. I saw 74 last weekend. I think they will drop a little more the next couple days, as we are expecting 40's over night.
But next week looks very warm again. Mid 80's for several days, so the water temp will rise again.
Highly variable weather this time of year. |
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Posts: 416
Location: MN | I don't think there's a hard rule on this. Even on one lake within an 8 year span I have seen a lot of variability. I have seen numbers of fish move shallow as early as late July if a cold front comes through, with water temps in the upper 70s. Generally late July to mid August I have only seen fish move shallow if there is a significant cold front, and even then it doesn't guarantee it. Those are leechers - I have not personally seen the same behavior in Canada.
In late August and into September, they seem to need much much less of an excuse. Any cold front usually does the trick, but I have seen them shallow in warmer conditions this time of year as well. I've also seen it where they stay deep even if the water temps are declining. Another thing that can happen is the smaller fish move shallow but the big ones stay deep. All of this can change on an daily or even hourly basis as well - definitely much more inclined to be shallow with wind or after dark.
I'm sure there is a lot of lake to lake variability as well, not to mention different strains of muskies. I really think you just need to check. |
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Posts: 8782
| I've seen it too with cold fronts pushing the fish shallow, but it's seems like a slow steady drop in air temperatures over several days, a few cold nights, and surface temps around 67-68 consistently seems to be the point where they abandon the reefs and rocks and move up into the shallow (green) weeds. Killer time for topwater! Add in a steady NW wind and you're golden.
I still love fall warm fronts, though. Great time to be on the water. The lakes are empty, then leaves are changing, it's dead quiet. I never catch anything, but it's so nice to be out there I don't even care.
Edited by esoxaddict 9/6/2024 4:12 PM
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Posts: 2269
Location: SE, WI. | There are several factors that play into big fish sliding shallow. Regions all seem to play a different part in this migration. 1; the cool nights in late August, early September will drive water temps down. Once temps get 74 and less seems to be the trigger. 2; Shortened daylight seems to trigger a good bite and migration. 3; The timing of full moon also seems to be a factor. 2 weeks ago , full moon, there was a migration of fish shallow. My experience is once they move shallow, even with a warming trend, the fish that came shallow, stay shallow until nearing turnover. Size of fish seem territorial, so if big fish move shallow, seveal smaller fish seem to remain deep. JD
Edited by jdsplasher 9/6/2024 7:41 PM
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Location: Contrarian Island | Ive caught a lot of fish, and big ones, this summer in under 5 feet of water. In fact I can't think of one that was in much deeper than 6 feet. imo there is always a % of fish shallow, mid, and deep... maybe it's more lake/region dependent but I've done well shallow for many years thru the summer. check it all....
Edited by BNelson 9/11/2024 11:05 AM
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Posts: 57
| Some fish pushed shallow here in Oh in the last week. Put two really good ones in the net Sunday that were both in 2’ or less of water. Last year in Sept and Oct I hammered the musky in a large shallow bay that doesn’t get fished. Why, most guys would never think that musky would be there. While I agree with what others have said some stay shallow all summer, but there is also a lot of fish that make a push shallow in Sept.
I used to think it was a water temp that triggered them to move shallow, now I believe it’s not a particular temp, but a drop in water temp in the late Aug early Sept that triggers them to move up.
Edited by OH Muskyman 9/12/2024 10:30 AM
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Posts: 8782
| Hard to get past the notion of "what are we doing fishing way back in here when all the other guys are fishing the mid lake structure??" but it can pay off, especially in stained water. And if there's one in there you will usually find more. Solitary fish my arse... |
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Posts: 221
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota | Just like any other time of year it can be a day to day or hour to hour thing. Majority of the time muskies will not sit up super shallow in sand/inside weed edges all day unless you have the perfect cold windy cloudy conditions in my experience. The warmer and sunnier the day the further I slide out. I have found fish in September suspended in open water when it’s calm and sunny, and then the next day when the conditions are better I have found them in 2 fow on the top of reefs and sand beaches. Generally if I’m up shallow im throwing blades and topwaters since the fish are usually aggressive up there, and then when I slide out I’m throwing rubber or heavy dive and rise baits that will really get down there. On those flat calm days deep weed edges are my most consistent spots. |
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