As we get deeper in summer and water temps increase does the thermocline move deeper or shallower? Also will thermoclines set up at the same depth year after year in a lake or are there factors that can cause it to change? Thanks
As we get deeper in summer and water temps increase does the thermocline move deeper or shallower? Also will thermoclines set up at the same depth year after year in a lake or are there factors that can cause it to change? Thanks
If there is current, there wont even be a thermocline. It can vary and wont be the same from year to year. As the summer goes forward it will usually go deeper towards the end of the summer. Only 2 lakes around here in Indiana that might get it is Patoka or Monroe. Ive not seen it on other lakes. Its pretty easy to spot on the electronics. With most anglers it wont make any difference with the T-motor digging in the mud all day long
depends alot on water clarity. I have seen 20ft deep thermoclines and felt them with my feet swimming 6-8 feet). An old trick is to find the depth of the thermocline and fish any structure at that depth as bass and other bait will be located there.
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Up here the depth is variable. On our bigger lakes, it's probably near 40' by now. I really only paid attention to it back when I did some trolling for trout/salmon.
It depends on lake and current. The thermocline typically moves up as the water gets warmer, compressing the fish more.
Wind can make the thermocline on the downwind side deeper and upwind side shallower, as it moves the surface water, stacking it on the downwind side.
Current might or might not affect the thermocline. Heavy current in a shallow lake will affect it Light current in a deep lake doesn't affect it much at all , as the current is mostly below the thermocline.
As water temps increase, the thrmocline will decrease in depth. I see the same lakes with pretty much the same TC level year in and year out. That said, it will vary from lake to lake.
Does your DNR have a lake info page on their website? many times local universities will collect data with TC, DO, temp, Depth and post it on the DNR website.
If there's any significant current, there isn't supposed to be a thermocline. One body of water we fished frequently has a lot of current, and also a lot of oxbows or "side bays". Those low current areas had a thermocline around the end of September, early October. Rotting veggie stuff floating up off the bottom looked like poop nuggets.
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I fish several lakes that all have a thermocline. It’s at different levels in each lake. I’ve also seen it slightly shift a few ft in different areas of a lake up or down. I’d always read and been told to fish at the level or slightly above it until I ran up on a video from “The Pond Boss”. You can find him on YouTube . His name is Bob Lusk. Anyway he says that fish will be located in the upper levels of it trading off a little oxygen, as long as there is enough for the cooler temps it has. So I started trying that and in the lakes I fish his advise is dead on! I find most of the fish I catch in 2/3 ft down in the thermocline.
I realize this is not answering the question ask but info I related to the thermocline. You may want to take a look there?
Good info and thanks for all the feed back.
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