River Temps?

[lucy1205]

If you want a good laugh just drive down to the chaska creek on opener, it will pretty much sum up the spring on old man river. dozens of people competing for a couple of walts on an 1 acre creek.

[Lowblazah]

I noticed that...seems to get fished daily. I've never fished there tho...so not sure how the action is.

[DTro]

Temps are really getting up there.

54 in the main channel and up to 59 in the creeks.

and........the first mosquitoes of the year

[Slowhand]

Doesnt take long for our flowing puddle of mud to heat up. I've been walking down to the access the last couple days and sticking my hand in the water real scientific-like. Mosquitoes; now that is something!

[Wiskers]

Boy the river has really gone up a lot lately. It is up about 6 feet from earlier when the ice went out. Got some real good flow going on there. Temps should be going up soon over here.

[walleyejim]

56.1 Degrees - 4/23/08 13:00 Veterans Memorial Bridge: Mankato

[Wiskers]

fished N. Redwood a few hours this after noon, not a nibble. Spoke to some fellas fishing there around 11:30 PM and they only had one nibble so far. Temps have to be getting up there soon. The flow is awesome, wish it could stay like this all summer.

[ec30_06]

55 around henderson last night. some spots up to 60.

[walleyejim]

Down to 50.0 Degrees - 4/25/08 18:00 Veterans Memorial Bridge: Mankato

[mplspug]

A few days of sinking temps ahead. Hopefully the cats are just a frustrated by the teasing weather and are all fired up and aggressive when it starts getting warmer which looks like in about 10 days they are talking 70 again.

[DTro]

Well this cold snap really put a damper on fishing. I had 49 in the main channel and 41 in the creeks.

Looks like the level will be up near flood stage by mid week.

We need some warm weather.....

[Shack]

You said it brother!

This the latest in a long time for these temps. I guess I kind of got used to Global Warming .

I thought it was going to get close to 50 today. At noon it look like it could of happened, now it is snowing again up here (fluries).

First time in a long time, I am sitting here at home alone, every thing is done (as far as around the house and the boat)and with this weather, just do not want to waste the gas, money and time. Plus I have been threw FM with a fine toothed comb

[hanson]

I said it earlier this year when everyone was "hot to trot" to get on the river... gotta let the snowmelt and rains bring it up first and then she'll come down and its game on! Patience...

She could get pretty interesting pretty quick if we get a streak of warm stable weather.

River needs to drop a bit as well as the current is pretty darn quick and full of debris right now. 6-8oz on the cat rods wouldn't even hold bottom.

[Lowblazah]

I disagree...this is one of my favorite times to be fishing the river and its tributaries. The water and creeks are high and the fish are definitely on the move.

Must be present to win...you certainly arent going to catch anything sitting at home.

[hanson]

Well... after yesterdays I just want to get out of the house and do something trip on the river with Dtro, I have to disagree with your disagreement.

In less than a weeks time, the water temps have flip flopped. The creeks are holding the coldest water in the river right now, 39-40 degrees. Main channel is still up at 49-50. Shouldn't come as a surprise with the cold rain we had late last week and snow this weekend.

We quit when the snow started but 6 hours of pitching for Whities produced nothing. Not even a nibble.

We seriously need a stretch of balmy summer temps to turn things around now.

[Shack]

Lowblazah,

This time of year is truly my favorite time also. I have not had the boat out yet (because of some repairs), but I have had 5-6 shore trips with little or no success.

Fact of the matter for me is, to head down to the good spots, it is anywhere’s from $60-$80 in gas round trip, with throwing in boat gas. Do not get me wrong, I will throw that down any day and have many, many times in the past. But, I figure why throw it down for a slim to none chance at even a small fish, since I have busted my open water bubble all ready.

I kind of figure it as this, if a guy wants to go to Daytona Beach Fla. For spring break, to meet chicks, he does not spend the money to go a couple weeks before or after the time window for spring break. No, he hits it right smack in the middle to better hits chances of getting some action. I am really starting to make my self learn and study via research about these cats. The one thing that is said, time and time again (besides many others) is their activity and life cycles revolve around water temp. Sure you can go down and get some action, but the great fun has not started and I think it will be a couple weeks before we even start to hear anything of flat reports.

God, this year is starting off sucky!

[DTro]

I love fishing the creeks for multispecies, but that is when the water is warm enough. I never expected the water to be so cold yesterday, but like I’ve said before, you cannot truly experience a good bite or become a better fisherman unless you are there for the “before” and “after”.

Nothing can replace time on the water.

**edit**

we posted at the same time Shack and I totally get the Gas thing. It does really suck.

At this time, I'm blessed to be so close. I forget about that some times, so hopefully you and others can use some of the info that I'm able to provide to your advantage.

[Tom7227]

If this website doesn't have it you don't need it.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt

[DTro]

 Originally Posted By: Tom7227

If this website doesn't have it you don't need it.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt

Where are the creek temps?

[Lowblazah]

6 hours of nothing? boy you guys are determined. I gave up after 4 hours of nothing. (except for one pesky turtle.)

I can agree with the gas comments as well...I live 4 blocks from the MN so I guess I have that working in my favor.

[Shack]

Your Dang right Dtro and I thank all of you for the info given. It does help me “feel” like I am maximizing my fishing funds to the most, which hopefully will lead into more trips during better times, verses just getting out on the water.

But like you said, be there for the before and after is a good key to becoming a better fisherman.

Thanks

[mplspug]

So you guys made a note to yourself, maybe look elsewhere in the spring when the creeks are significantly colder than the river? All of the initial run off was cold, but the rest should hopefully warm up as it makes it's way into the creeks, especially if we get some sun.

[DTro]

Pug, there are still places to go in these conditions, but they are few and far between, and I even got a report that one of those spots didn't produce yesterday.

[wastewaterguru]

Like Darren said, there is no subsitute for time on the water. A lot of people see the big fish caught on the river and think they can just pick any spot on any given day and catch a big one. Sure, you may get lucky, but the odds are against you.

The dozen or so guys that I see and talk to one the river day in and day out get their knowledge from spending time on the water. I don't mind not catching fish. I enjoy putting the time on the water to explore, to watch the snags and sandbars shift, to prospect for later in the year......

I like watching how the changing water levels have an impact on current seams and creek flows. These are spots that I may want to fish this summer....and I can tell based on the water level where that seam is and what size sinker I'll need and whether the anchor will hold.......before even leaving the house. I can tell what stretches of river I can run full throttle in the dark, what streches to trim the motor on, and where each and every snag and deadhead is on the stretches of river I frequent.

That's the kind of info that only time on the water gives me.

Who cares that the fish aren't biting yet......

Besides, in all honesty if no one was the first to start catching them, how would everyone else know when the bite started???

There are a lot of river fisherman who only hit the river after they hear that the fish are biting......and past experience tells me that the current temps are too low for hot action, but the temps aren't posted anywhere. The only reason we have any information on the river temps is because of the die-hards who go out when the fish aren't biting yet.

I understand people use this site for information, and I like to give that information and share my experiences......part of that is to be there when the bite starts, and part of it is to just be on the water having fun.

I am lucky to be able to spend as much time as I do on the river, and I enjoy sharing the sucesses/failures/near-death-experience so that others can learn....to a point.

[Larry FlatCaster]

I got an email reply from the powers that be..... After requesting as to why they removed that temperature data profile from their site. It is there, its just NOT available to the public at this time.

They stated that "they are going to be providing water temps back online to the public eventually." They did not how ever give a time line as to when that would be.

Both Guru and Dtro are right. You do have to put your time in to see a pay off. I will state that this is the latest in a couple years that I have not spent hardly any time on the water. To be honest the last couple of years the bite was hard to come by.

Water temps need to come around as we all know.

But It is still loads fun to have a go at it.... call it practice.

[sparcebag]

The nothern are just starting to run around here,saw my first 3 today,a few carp included,but the water is, in comparison to the previous 3-4 years COLD.

[walleyejim]

43.7 Degrees Today

[Scott K]

I dont know about the rest of you, but since Saturdays cold front, things have really slowed for me. I suppose it could have somethng to do with the water rising, temp drop, and how dirty the water is. I have only caught a few fish, small and lite biters since Saturday. What have you guys found, any luck since?

[AceintheHole]

Pretty much the same. I'm going to give it a break till after opener and let this warm up and settle down abit then hit it hard again. Good Luck

[DTro]

Opener???