You pull up to a lake you have never been to before

[billknepp]

yank the yak or cat off the roof and explore.. No rods just info gathering n wildlife watchin the first go round!

[Lotech]

I would start at first light fishing from my pontoon boat and fish as close to shore as possible. I would position my boat about 30 feet offshore and cast toward shore, fishing in less than 1 1/2 feet of water. I would fish nymphs and twitch them slowly. As the sun starts to rise, I would move to deeper and deeper water. Doesn't always work for me, but it seems to work for Denny Rickards.

[harleybob87]

I like to start where the water comes in and at first light. I cast towards the shoreline searching for feeding fish from the previous night. Then I look at the shorline because it can tell you so much about where you are fishing structure wise. I try to follow the path of the incoming water to the main lake. The water temp is cooler and fish normally will hang on the edge getting the free food. My fly of choice is one of three: bunny leech, soft hackle, and the number 1 is stillwater nympth. If none of those produce then I go to a stayner ducktail. Wooly buggers are great but I have never had to go to them since I started using the above three flies. Oh yea colors are black or olive or a combination of the two colors.

[Chuck S]

Observe first for low hanging mist/fog in the morning. Before hand determine the predominant type of insect (Callibaetis/Hex, etc) and baitfish/crayfish/frogs activity and fish found in that area/lake. Observe for hoppers, flying ants, damsels and dragons in the air as well as scuds, and other non flyers etc with a few passes of a small mesh seine in the weeds. Give priority to down wind sides if the wind isn't too severe for fishing and to inlets and then the outlet. Give priority to south facing sides in early season as these warm first. Look at the surrounding topography to gain insiight to the contours likely found in the lake. If the lake is man made look for old roadbeds crossing, rivers and creek transects, etc. Of course look for rises and riseforms. When all else fails slow troll a Black Wooley Bugger on a sinking line as you paddle about, gaining insight.