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Water temperatures??

Andy Shaw

Andy Shaw

Senior Member
More and more recently I have been asked water temperature when fishing or after a catch, I have never taken water temps, or got that into it as it used to seem to confusing and im still just a "keep it simple angler"...
However, I recently purchased a digital thermometer and have been messing around with it.
Im going to start keeping records of catches and temps they were caught in, what I would like to know is what are the good or right temps to fish for certain species or for all??

Thanks in advance,

Andy.
 
Hi Andy,
Ray Walton is spot on when it comes to water temperatures, just ask him and he will reply to you.
Brian Willson Throop Bailiff
 
I think most people believe that it is the trend in the temp that is important.

Dropping temp is not ideal.
Steady temps are ok
Increasing temps are generally considered to be the best opportunity.

Of course these are not set in stone and you just never know when the big'un will come along :)
 
Dropping temp is not ideal.
Steady temps are ok
Increasing temps are generally considered to be the best opportunity.

This all reads very true, but i personally feel that if i had to go by a water temp before wetting a line then half the time i would of drove home after taking the temp. This can not be a good thing for the old confidence?
Going by the past few months that we have had then i wouldn't of drowned a bait:confused:
So my choice now is to fish for what i think i might have a chance of, if not then i'll just enjoy trying;)
 
Hi Andy,
I'd agree with the previous posts,that water temp. trend is of the greatest importance.Regarding barbel solely,there seems to be a generally quoted figure of 43F,as being the magic switch on temp.But plenty of anglers will have landed barbs in far less temperatures than that,but more than likely those lower temps would have been rising,so that,for example a 40F and steadily rising situation can be just as productive as a steady temp of say 45F.
Just seen your barbel photo elsewhere on the site,what a crackin' fish and photo.
Regards
Pete.;)
 
I use a thermometer from the end of October thru to the end of the season & fish hard whatever..It can give you a little help in choosing a bait, tactics etc.
Nothing wrong with a little help:rolleyes:
 
Proved today that 5C (41F) isn't too cold for them! First of the year came on a glugged betaine pellet.
 
With temperatures rising, it will be interesting to see how many fish come out this weekend. I mostly don't fish for the whiskered ones unless the water gets over 7C, but with the temperatures rising even a little after such a long cold spell, it may get them feeding. I'll be on the Severn tomorrow, and as many of the regulars from the Severn thread are also out, the theory will be thoroughly tested!
 
If I can actually get on the river, I am optimistic with a water temp at 37F or above IF rising (even slowly). I have caught Barbel (ifrom the yorkshire Ouse) at that but not this week as I have not had the time to get out. And last sunday that river was at 36F (2C), with a snow melt off the Pennines/Dales.

BUT the feeding can be very localised in both space and time (right place at the right time!). A few winter's back I had two doubles in a five fish catch off the Swale at 41F (but the river was rising in temperture and volume quite fast, six inches and 1F per hour). But I did need to move around before I found them and the feeding spell was a mad two hours.
 
Yes, it's all down to confidence, but looking back at my previous records, the magical figure for me (confirmed in earlier posts by others) does seem to be around the 6 deg C mark (43F in old money). I have had barbel out the Ribble when the temps been hovering around the 3C level, but this has been when it's consistent for a few days.

Conversely, I've been sitting on a known peg, overcast sky, approaching dusk, river fining down after a flood pulse, rising water temp above 8C, full of anticipation.....and blanked.


Mick
 
Mick Abdy said:
Conversely, I've been sitting on a known peg, overcast sky, approaching dusk, river fining down after a flood pulse, rising water temp above 8C, full of anticipation.....and blanked.
Click to expand...
These days, I view these as just slightly better than 50:50, as the barbel usually have done a feast in the preceding few days:cool: BUT i am optimistic so I stick it out to I run out of tea and gum!
 
Different rivers also seem to fall into the equation. Generally i cant buy a bite on the warks avon unless the temp is over 45f, although i have caught big fish at 41f on one occasion from that river, so the science isnt 100%. On shallower rivers like the bristol avon and kennet i've caught at much lower temps down to 38f. Best to keep and open mind, but useful to take the temps just for personal record.

Paul
 
In my humble view trend is definately the most important factor! Just before xmas I had a Barbel on the float 41f rising to 42f on a day when I would have been happy with anything!!!
 
Starting to see a patern forming, thanks for all the replys.
Will keep a record from now on.
If anybody is interested the digital thermometer that I have purchased was from LIDL, two friends that regulary fish by temps have both picked one up since seeing mine, for £3.95 cant go wrong..

Andy.
 
Hi Andy,
If I remember correctly,unless the model has changed,the Lidl thermometer was more suited to measuring air temp.Use one in winter on my motorbike,gives a fair indication when ice is likely.I then bought another cheap one from Maplin that's designed for fish tanks.Still as I said it could be a totally different model from Lidl now,just a thought.
Pete;)
 
I just use a cheap greenhouse thermometer with a 3 metre extension for the 'outside' temperature probe. Got it from E-bay a few years back, seems pretty accurate on water temperatures, I did check it against a 0-100C mercury in glass thermometer when I first bought it.

Agree with most of the other comments, it's the trend that is more important than the absolute temperature reading, when's it's rising after a prolonged cold spell they are likely to feed. That's why I felt fairly confident yesterday, though the fish I had was like a barrel so obviously been feeding well for a while.
 
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