Here we are already closing in on mid-June, where did spring go!   

As we progress with the heat of summer quickly approaching it’s time to take a few minutes and talk about fish handling in warm weather.  

Fish can be impacted by angling during hot weather. We all care about the fish we catch, let’s make sure we understand the issues that increased temperatures can cause.

Why is it important?

Hot weather can affect fish both in rivers and lakes. As water temperature increases, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water decreases (Table 1). This is made worse by low water levels or river flows as smaller amounts of water warm faster.

Table 1: show approximate dissolved oxygen levels (100% saturation) at different water temperatures

~Water temperature          50°F             59°F         68°F           77°F 

~Dissolved oxygen level  11 mg/L       10 mg /L   9 mg /L      8 mg/L

Tight Lines,  Vinny