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| I am intensely reading the feedback for all the "structure 101" posts, which is great info, but need a clarification. Some say that with a west wind in the spring that it will push the cool surface water to the east and you should fish the west side of the lake because it is where the warmer water stays. Others say that the west wind will push the warmer surface water to the east side and you should fish the east side due to it being warmer. Does wind really "push" warm or cold water? If so, which water gets pushed by the wind, the warmer or cooler? thx much. |
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| If the water is moving, it's being mixed. The net result would seem to be a uniform temperature through out the shallow water column, i.e., ~10' or so. But more importantly, I think the wind generated current has significant impact on disolved oxygen content in the upper water column. This is what probably triggers the food chain and moves the Muskies to the top of the water column or into shallows. Because of the maximum exposure to the sun, the warmest water will always be the north bays.
Al Warner
www.icantplayfindmyfoot.com |
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| Ok here goes, this is only from personal experience however,so may be construed as to be just my opinion, right or wrong. I do a lot of spring fishing for spieces other than Muskies. The reason being that it is fun and the season here is open for other fish before Muskie season opens. I start my season with panfish on a fly rod. As the shallow water warms in the early spring, the water that is protected in the shallow North bays definatley warms 1st. Of this there is no question, this is especially true in Northwest WI, as the prevailing winds are from the Northwest. The panfish come in shallow in these warm bays relatively quickly. I have caught them in these areas when there is still ice on the main lake. If the wind should blow into these areas the cold water is pumped into the bays, the water cools and the fish leave. Keep in mind however that this is very early spring and the main lake is very cold yet. The next stage of the season brings the Bass up shallow in the same areas. This has to do with water temp. as well as the location of baitfish. If this water is warm the baitfish will be there. Again keeping in mind that my area the forage base consists of shore minnows, panfish etc. not Ciscos or Whitefish. Again a great day of shallow fishing can be followed by a virtual no fish day in the same area just by a simple wind direction switch. If the wind blows into these areas from the main lake the fish simply leave. Maybe not all of them but the fishing will not be nearly as good as the previous day when the water was warmer. The next step of course is Muskie season. The season opens here Memorial day weekend. The water in the main lake has warmed some but the bays with shallow dark water are still much warmer than the main lake or the shallow bays on the other areas of the lake. However these shallow areas are also warmer than the main lake. This means that any water blowing "into" the areas will have a cooling effect. The only time that this may not be the case is if the shallow bay is "fronted" by a large shallow flat which may also be very warm. However if the flat or the main lake areas are already warmer than the bays why would you be fishing in the shallow bays anyway? Hope this helps rather than confuses. Remember that when the wind blows the water becomes mixed so it will get cooler in the Spring for sure. Are all the fish in the shallow warmer areas? Nope. Can they be caught in areas other than the shallow warmer water? Yep. Is the water warmer in the shallow, sunny, dark bottom protected bays? Most definitly. Get a good quality temp. gauge in your boat and you can see this happen for yourself.
Let Em Go...Let Em Grow.....Mike |
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| GregM
In the spring, early morning will have cooler surface temps from the night before. I will try to fish the calm water first thing in the morning where the water temps are more stable. The wind will be blowing this cooler water in the direction that it is blowing. As the sun get's up in the sky it will warm the waters surface and now the wind will blow the warmer surface water in that same direction.
This is just a rule of thumb and somthing that give's me a starting point. |
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| Dude, if the muskies are like the rockfish the above are correct....we started fishing 2 months ago in the north end of the lake.....in the afternoon you could set your watch by the wind/shallow water theory as we would start catching them on the shallow flats after 2:00....no shallow bite 'til then...the early morning fish were caught in the north end but in deeper water not affected by the wind; now the water has warmed up + the fishing is better earlier but the shallow water being warmed by the sun later in the day by the breeze etc. definitely worked for us.[:sun:] |
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Posts: 32922
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I fish the north bays quite a bit because of the southern axis of the sun in the Spring. Many cases, the shallow waters on the north side of the lake will be as much as 5 degrees warmer or more than the same depth on the south shore no matter the wind direction. |
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Posts: 1938
Location: Black Creek, WI | Wind induced water movements are interesting stuff. Lots of good info on the internet. Try a search for "wind set-up", seiche effect, langmuir currents, lake morphology (fetch), etc. etc. Not sure how all of it affects our fishing... but I'm sure it plays a role at times. Good luck figuring it out.
jlong |
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