What does a trout do if the water temp gets to high? I know dying will probably be the first answer, but I mean before the temp gets that high. Do they get lazy and want the fly do come straight to them? or can they sort of hibernate till the water cools or what? I am assuming they hunt the deepest hole and sort of sit there, but I am not sure.
There is a creek less than 10 minutes from here that gets stocked twice every spring, I was really looking forward to trying it out this weekend, but now I have to work and haul hay:( That’s the problem with having a wife that has and loves horses:p Anyway, the creek has several springs that feed into it, but I am concerned that it may not get cold enough for a trout to survive through the summer months. What temp is the warmest that you think a trout can survive?
thanks in advance,
hNt
PS Before spring I will own a thermometer and plan on recording and checking the temp.
Usually they’ll look for a cool spring or move to a deep hole or undercut bank and go pretty much dormant. We usually stop fishing once the water gets much over 65 just to keep from stressing the fish too much.
if we are talking about trout, 72 degrees seems to be the danger point - the fish can survive, just not being caught and survive. Browns ‘seem’ to be able to take warmer temperatures than rainbows. I personally would not fish any even 70 degree water for trout. Now bonefish, that’s something else :lol:
different species of trout have different optimal water temps. I forget which is which, but I think that Browns were the most tolerant, and brookies the least (but I could be wrong–it’s happened a few times–but look it up to be sure)…typically, it’s somewhere in the mid-50s.