Posted by Chris Larsen on 29th Jan 2021
Water Temp
USE PREFERRED WATER TEMP TO FIND FISH
Every species of fish has a preferred water temperature range. Think of water temperature as fish holding structure. Using preferred water temperature it is possible to eliminate non-productive water quickly. Fish want to be where they are comfortable, so it pays to fish in their preferred water temperature range!
Every body of water has temperature changes from the surface to the bottom. There are layers of water where the temperature will be significantly different from the surrounding water. These differences are called temperature breaks. Larger, deeper lakes tend to have more temperature breaks.
When fish suspend in the water column it is usually by water temperature. Using a Fish Hawk System or TD will allow you to find the depth of the correct water temperature for the species you are targeting.
SPECIES | LOWER | OPTIMAL | UPPER |
Black Crappie | 60 | 70 | 75 |
Bluegill | 58 | 69 | 75 |
Brown Trout | 44 | 60 | 75 |
Chinook Salmon | 42 | 50 | 60 |
Coho Salmon | 44 | 54 | 60 |
Kokanee | 55 | ||
Lake Trout | 42 | 50 | |
Landlocked Atlantic Salmon | 54 | ||
Largemouth Bass | 50 | 65 | 75 |
Muskellunge | 55 | 72 | |
Northern Pike | 56 | 63 | 74 |
Rainbow Trout | 44 | 55 | 75 |
Steelhead | 38 | 55 | 75 |
Walleye | 50 | 67 | 76 |
White Crappie | 61 | ||
Yellow Perch | 58 | 68 | 74 |
Alewife | 48 | 54 | 72 |
Emerald Shiner | 61 | ||
Gizzard Shad | 69 | ||
Rainbow Smelt | 43 | 50 | 57 |
Spottail Shiner | 54 | ||
Temperatures shown in degrees Fahrenheit |