Fall Trout Prospects

[vtflyfish]

Originally Posted by Pauly D.

That was a great read and yes it was scary.

From the measurements I've taken at various ponds I see a thermocline form between 20-25 feet during the hot months. If the pond is 40 feet deep or more the water is cold enough for Brook Trout to survive at the bottom however most of those ponds have little vegetation and thus limited forage. They are rocky and oligotrophic. Would be interested to hear your thoughts if fish in these ponds survive or starve due to lack of food.

Thanks for posting.

The problem is that the thermocline separates the epilimnion (top layer) from the hypolimnion. The epilimnion, stirred by waves and thermal agitation, holds oxygen. Since the thermocline is pretty much a hard barrier between the two, the hypolimnion does not get recharged with oxygen. As the summer wears on, the hypolimnion loses more and more oxygen, to the point where not much can live there. That forces the brookies closer and closer to the thermocline. It's a balance between temperature tolerance and ability to breathe.

This summer has been particularly brutal on brookies and I suspect that one of my longtime favorite ponds lost its population of larger fish. It will be interesting to see what we see this Autumn.

Paradoxically, the west has cooled down significantly as a result of all the smoke from the big fires. Friends in Alberta and BC report early and very good fishing!

[St.Regis]

I'll put my money on the brook trout for finding a way to get by. They're very capable of dealing with extremes.

[Stillhunter]

I am with St. Regis and the brookies as well. Remember that ice out on Mirror Lake was May 4th this past spring. Latest since 1978! Supposed to be cold again this winter. Upper forties in finger lakes overnight already.

[geogymn]

Me brother and I spent a day and night on a back country lake and fished fairly hard, albeit from shore. Lake was like glass half the time, didn't have one follower nor seen a fish rise. Had a great time just the same. It was nice to build a needed fire.

[Green Drake]

Surface water temps on a number of back country ponds fell from the mid 70s during last weeks heat to near 60 today. Longer cold nights and yesterday's cold rain really pushed them down.

Thermocline is set up between 10 and 20 feet depending on water clarity. Temps are likely to rise again with the return of summer here.

[RipVanWinkle]

I'm seeing posts on social media of guys catching some nice trout recently. Not all was lost this summer it seems.

[LeoGram]

Originally Posted by St.Regis

oneida custom bow stringI'll put my money on the brook trout for finding a way to get by. They're very capable of dealing with extremes.

i second this

[NHtroutster]

Just to chime back in, I returned to my top brookie stream for a few hours this past weekend, and the action was great!! This is an example of some that I caught--not the pond monsters some of you pluck, but a beautiful stream brookie nonetheless. Good luck to you all!

[St.Regis]

Nice brookie!

[NHtroutster]

A few nice browns plucked out today. Keep that rain coming!

[ewthielking]

Those are nice! Congrats


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[Tug Hill]

I fished a small shallow brook trout pond Wednesday in the southwestern ADK’s.
Had plenty of action, caught around 15 Brookies but all small and release all but 3. I carried my canoe to the pond but There is a boat stashed there. It tells me the pond does get some pressure. I have fished it before several years ago.

This Pond is very shallow with only a couple of deep spots. If ever there was a pond that could be affected by summer warm temps and low water, this is the one. But, it seems to me that the Brookies have survived.

[ewthielking]

They find a spring and spend the summer there. Boats are normally dragged in by snowmobile in the winter. You can tell pressure by amount of work tins laying around, and foot prints on peat banks.


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[RipVanWinkle]

Photo is deceptive but that is an 18-20" ADK Stream Brookie, my personal best.
Caught on a 2-3WT rod with a black cone head woolly bugger.
My fishing season was pretty much destroyed by work, but this guy basically salvaged it.

[RipVanWinkle]

Let me try again-

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5rX3XwFQf74mqkLt9

[NHtroutster]

Sounds like a great fish RipVW. Can't seem to open that link tho... Here's a 24" brown I caught last weekend. On the thin side but it was a nice fight. Gently released on the condition that I can borrow him/her in the future again for another picture.