CHAPTER 10

Best Fishing Times

In This Chapter

What times of day offer the best fishing

How seasonal periods affect fish activity

How weather affects fishing

In this chapter, you’ll learn about the best fishing times from a daily and a seasonal perspective, and that the sun and the moon also play a part in best fishing times. You’ll see how weather impacts fish activity as well.

There’s a saying among the fishing fraternity that the best time to go fishing is whenever you can. That philosophy bears an element of truth, but certain times do offer better odds for success than others. The very best odds exist when fish are in a positive mood, and the worst odds exist when fish are in a negative mood. Generally, though, anglers will find fish in a neutral mood. Put bait or a lure in front of an active fish in a positive mood, and you’ll most likely get a strike. Put bait or a lure in front of an inactive fish in a negative mood, and you’ll likely get no response. Make a good presentation of bait or lure to a fish in a neutral mood, and you’ll probably entice a strike. Make a poor presentation to that same fish, and your offering will most likely be snubbed.

Daily Influences on Fish Activity

Fish do not spend the twenty-four hours over the course of a day holding tightly to a confined area nor do they spend that twenty-four-hour period roaming randomly from one section of the lake to another. Instead, they remain in a general area where both safety and food are not far away.

Dawn and Dusk

While in their home areas, fish become active at dawn and dusk, obvious times of change in the degrees of light and dark. At dawn, fish become active as they seek food and then shelter prior to the bright sunlight of midday. Before dusk, fish become active as they do their final feeding before settling in for the night. In muskellunge fishing circles, the hour before dark is often called the magic hour. In essence, low light makes for better fishing, and the hours around dawn and dusk are low-light hours.

Early Morning and Early Evening

Close behind dawn and dusk as prime fishing times are the early morning and early evening hours. The morning hours can be especially productive when water temperatures are warm. While the morning hours see significant activity from nearly all game fish species, that period is prime time for the largest predators in a water system. The best time of day for fishing is during the evening hours when water temperatures are warm. This is when the lakes and rivers seem to come alive with insect hatches, baitfish activity, and feeding fish. On many days where the wind makes for difficult fishing, the evening hours see the wind die down.

Real Fishing

I have long maintained that if an angler changed nothing else in his fishing behaviors except to do his fishing during the evening hours, that angler would double his fish catches.

Midday

For the most part, the midday hours are considered the poorest fishing period of the day. Exceptions do exist, though, and midday fishing can be good in dark waters where the sunlight increases visibility, in waters with cold temperatures where the sunlight warms the shallows and surface layer, and in spawning areas where fish remain active for longer periods than normal.

Night

While many species lie low during the hours of darkness, some species are very active and offer good fishing opportunities. Generally, night fishing is best when water temperatures are warm, although the warming temperatures of late spring and the onset of cooling temperatures in early autumn also lure fish to the shallows where the fish actively feed. Among the species pursued after dark are brown trout in streams, largemouth bass on surface lures, walleyes on shallow structures, bullheads in soft-bottomed areas, catfish in holes, and crappies, white bass, and striped bass around lighted bridges. Night fishing also offers the advantages of escaping the summer heat and avoiding hours that see high recreational traffic.

Seasonal Influences on Fish Activity

Waters experience seasonal variations that impact fish location and activity. Among those seasonal changes are differences in water temperatures, baitfish availability, oxygen levels, abundance of vegetation, and water levels. Here’s a brief look at how fish behave seasonally.

Spring

Spring can be the best time of the year for catching many species. Not only does spring kick off another fishing season, but it also sees increased fish activity, and active fish translate to good fishing. Primary causes of fish activity in the spring are warming water temperatures, increased urge for feeding, and the spawn, all three of which bring fish into the shoreline shallows and tributaries. For anglers, this means large numbers of fish in fairly concentrated areas, and fish that are looking for food at a time when the available prey is at its lowest point of the year. Smaller waters offer the advantage of warming first, whereas larger waters offer the advantage of high fish numbers. Trout lakes see fish moving to the warming surface layer as well as to the warming shallows.

Summer

Summer has a dispersal effect rather than a concentrating one on fish. After all, areas with abundant food and suitable water temperatures are commonly available throughout a water system. As a general rule, summer fish move deeper in search of cooler water and low-light conditions. Fish also seek cover for the same reasons. Although scattered, deep, and hiding fish might sound like grim news for the angler, summer offers quality opportunities. Keep in mind that fish activity will be greatest when recreational traffic is at its lightest, so do your fishing in the early morning or in the evening. Also, consider fishing weedy and vegetated areas as they offer both food and cover. Such areas, too, promise the best surface fishing action of the year. Summer is the season for structure fishing, so find the quality structures on your waters and you’ll find fish. On thermally stratified lakes, fish will gravitate to the thermocline, and that’s where you want to get your lure.

Fall

After the stability of summer water conditions, fall is a time of change. As waters begin to cool in early autumn, many species move shallower to feed, but the colder water temperatures of late fall send fish deep. As vegetation dies, both baitfish and game fish migrate to deeper water, but vegetation that remains green will continue to attract fish. Fall is a time when fish become fairly mobile as they pursue schools of baitfish.

Despite the challenges of changing conditions, the season offers a number of advantages. For one, recreational traffic subsides once school gets underway. For another, fall scenery is unmatched in many parts of North America. Also, fish feed actively before winter, so feeding windows are longer than they are in the summer months. Fall finds fish gathering in schools, so once you locate fish, the action can be some of the fastest of the year. Finally, some tributaries come alive with anadromous species that return to their native streams to spawn as well as other species that follow to feed on the eggs. In many cases, this means small waters with big fish.

Real Fishing

Many anglers love opening days and the start of another fishing season. I have a different perspective, though. I love “closing days,” so fall is my favorite angling season. As autumn winds down I relish those final outings on trout streams and ponds and those last few ventures pursuing walleyes and muskellunge on the St. Lawrence River.

Winter

Winter sees water temperatures cool and food supplies dwindle from summer’s abundance. In response, a fish’s metabolism slows, and it moves to deeper water where water conditions are stable and where it feeds less actively. Still, there is no reason to put away your fishing gear. Instead, seek quiet water, use a slower presentation, and fish deeper structures. Winter means being more species conscious, and instead of targeting warm-water species, go after cool- and cold-water species such as northern pike, walleyes, yellow perch, and lake trout as they remain fairly active throughout the winter. If you have access to tributaries with steelhead, you have the opportunity to experience some of the most challenging and exciting fishing winter has to offer. If you have access to waters with an ice cover, winter opens up a whole new world of fishing possibilities. See Chapter 17 for the scoop on ice fishing.

How Weather Impacts Fishing

A good fisherman is very likely a weather-conscious individual who checks the weather when planning a trip and again just prior to actually heading out on the water. Knowing the weather forecast serves three purposes: verifies that conditions are safe for the outing, helps determine where to fish, and gives an indication of likely fish activity. For example, an expected thunder and lightning storm tells you to stay off the water, a moderate west wind means the east shore of an island should be more productive than the west shore, and a strong cold front indicates that fish will likely be inactive and holding tight to cover or bottom.

Wind

Over the years, fishermen have created short verses that capture the general effects that weather, expressed in terms of wind direction, has on fishing. Here is such a verse: “Wind out of the north, don’t leave port/wind out of the east, fish bite the least/wind out of the south, a fish opens its mouth/wind out of the west, fish bite the best.” These words don’t mean that we should fish only when the wind blows from the west or south, but they do suggest that fish will be less active when winds come from the north and east. On those outings we might lower our expectations, fish slower, fish deeper, fish closer to cover, use smaller baits or lures, and expect softer hits.

Bad Cast

Many anglers head for calm, protected areas when the wind is blowing. In reality, though, fish are more active in areas where the wind is blowing. If you concentrate on fishing wind-blown shorelines and structures, you will likely see your catch rate improve dramatically.

Velocity is another important wind factor. When winds are too strong, they present a safety issue especially on large, open waters and on shallow waters because of wave buildup. A wise angler follows the creed, “When in doubt, don’t go out.” In addition to the safety issue, strong winds present other difficulties for anglers such as making boat control a real chore when trying to work a structural edge, moving at a comfortable fishing speed, or moving in a desired direction.

Strong winds also raise havoc with casting effectiveness, lure presentation, maintaining a good feel of jigs or plastic worms, assessing bites, and trying to keep offerings near bottom. A complete lack of wind eliminates these negatives, but windless conditions allow fish to easily detect angler intrusions especially in shallow water and in clear water conditions. Two techniques that somewhat combat windy conditions are trolling and anchoring, although big waves can result in inconsistent lure speed and an up-and-down ride. Rough conditions also make it difficult to anchor in a precise spot.

Strong winds do have an upside, though. They blow organisms into the shallows where baitfish follow and where anglers will find active fish at any time of the day. Also, wind action oxygenates shallower lakes, another factor that activates fish. Windy conditions are a time, too, when big fish often roam the shallows.

Overall, light and moderate winds are the most angler friendly as they allow for good boat control and effective bait or lure presentation. Furthermore, breezes create lower light conditions, an occurrence that puts fish in a more positive mood. The term walleye chop illustrates this point because walleyes are a light-sensitive species, and when there’s a mild chop on the surface, walleye fishing is at its best.

Rain

A common belief exists that rainy weather means good fishing, but that is not always the case. For example, a cold rain in the spring will likely have a negative impact on fish activity, whereas a cold rain in the summer might activate the fish. Likewise, a warm rain in spring will do more to put fish in a positive mood than will a warm rain in summer. In essence, heavy rains make for poor fishing because of discomfort for the angler, a current flow that’s too strong in streams and rivers, and discolored, muddied waters caused by runoff. Anglers can expect the fishing to improve, though, as water conditions return to a normal flow and clarity.

On the other hand, a light rain or drizzle typically means excellent fishing. Again, this is a time of low light so fish are generally active. Another excellent time to be on the water is during those prerain hours when a person is apt to say, “It sure feels like rain.”

Storms

Maybe it goes without saying, but wind, snow, and thunder storms are good times to stay home. In addition to the safety issue, severe storms put fish in a negative, inactive mood. On a positive note, fishing is typically good in the twenty-four hours prior to a storm’s arrival. Also, minor thunderstorms seem to activate a water’s largest predators prior to and after the event. After a significant storm passes, it may take a twenty-four-hour period before most fish return to normal activity levels.

Clouds and Stable Weather

Cloudy, overcast days make for good fishing because of the low-light conditions and the resulting increased fish activity. Low cloud cover creates dawnlike and dusklike conditions all day long. In contrast, bluebird-colored skies and a bright sun make for tough fishing, especially in clear water.

The interplay of various weather factors strongly impacts fish activity levels. Generally though, stable and seasonable weather makes for good fishing, whereas significant weather changes mean poor fishing because fish need time to adapt to those changes.

Sun and Moon

It is generally believed that the position of the sun and the moon in relation to each other and to the earth have an impact on fish activity levels. In fact, a number of tables regularly appear in fishing publications, and the tables predict when fish will be most active and least active for any given day. Many anglers use the tables and swear by their accuracy. Also, fish records indicate that the two or three days on either side of a new or full moon are the best fishing days of the month. Although I believe in the validity of these sun and moon influences, I also believe that local weather conditions are an overriding factor.