The lake I fished this weekend was surprisingly warm-like 52 I think. Water looked clear and clean-so when does the turn over happen? Fishing was slow, nothing on a spinner jig or crank. Got action right away when I switched to a sucker minnow. I was still glad I started with the crank because it helped me figure out where the green weeds were.
I’m new to a part of the country where lakes actually turn over. I fished a lake this past weekend where the surface temp was 49 degrees. The fish and the thermocline seemed to be hanging around 20 – 30 feet. Very strange for me to get used to going deeper to find warmer water.
Turn over starts happening when surface temperature hits 56 degrees
Algaes gone by our dock didn’t check water temp but seems actions shallow on weedline
Turn over starts happening when surface temperature hits 56 degrees
Interesting I hadn’t heard that before… not questioning you at all but curious if that is specific to this region or if there is data to track this..?
It’s just something I have read in different articles/books here and there about fall fishing pre and post turnover.
http://www.jeffsundin.com/article_veteran_guide_walleye_patterns.htm
This is a good one
I’d also say I’m no expert by any means. There is more to it then just water temp. Water clarity, wind, depth and all other elements to a lake can change when it happens. 56 degrees seems to be a good target for me when I’m looking at turnover period. Especially in shallower lakes
Water is a very interesting substance because it is most dense as a liquid rather than a solid. Specifically water is most dense at 4 degrees Celsius or ~39 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the phenomenon that allows ice to float and keeps our freshwater lakes from freezing solid in Minnesota’s northern climate.
For “turnover” or the period when the portion of the lake below the thermocline (hypolimnion) mixes with the portion above the thermocline (epilimnion) the maximum density point of water is important as well.
Absent any outside influence if a lake cooled once it reached a surface temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit that surface water would begin to sink to the bottom displacing the water already there and pushing it to the surface (thus turnover).
The reality is that lakes are not isolated like that. They each experience wind and many have springs or inflowing streams that cause turbulence in the water. The closer the temperature of the two portions of the lake are to one another the the easier it is for that turnover to happen. Thus a gentle breeze on a stratified lake may do the trick at 42 degrees, but that same lake may need a strong wind at 55 degrees. In shallow lakes thermoclines may not develop because the mixing effect of winds keep the temperature of the lake fairly uniform.
Thermoclines often develop under the ice during the winter, but in this case the warmer water is near the bottom at ~39 degrees while the ice covered surface is 32 degrees. Because these temperatures are very close winter thermoclines are more fragile and even small amounts of current can cause them to mix. They would likely not be able to maintain themselves if it weren’t for the ice cover protecting the lake from the mixing effects of wind.
Hudson and MN DNR, thx for the input – all good stuff. I’ve typically monitored things like this that trigger the spawn in the spring but not as much during fall turnover. A good learning…
The lake I fished this weekend was surprisingly warm-like 52 I think. Water looked clear and clean-so when does the turn over happen? Fishing was slow, nothing on a spinner jig or crank. Got action right away when I switched to a sucker minnow. I was still glad I started with the crank because it helped me figure out where the green weeds were.
I started with a spinner bait this weekend. Nothing hitting that. Didnt take long to switch over to stickbaits and started catching fish. Trick was to twitch them along and almost all strikes came while the bait was sitting still.
Turnover not happening yet around Aitkin but it cant be far off. Way temps are going might be on ice 2nd or third weekend of deer hunting.
If water temps are in the 40’s turnover has successfully taken place going towards winter… As mentioned earlier there are all sorts of dynamics that go on regarding, depth, wind, how warm the water got during the summer period, depth of thermocline, and more. Water at 52 could be on the end of turnover, considering it was clear, I would consider that it is/was probably finished turning over…
Mark
Stick baits-good idea
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