As anglers we want to make the most of our time on the water, this often means we target only prime water and hurry by the rest. Although this is obviously a wise strategy we frequently dismiss certain pieces of water as secondary and move past them when given specific hatches or conditions they might actually be the water holding the fish we plan to target. As seasons change, water levels fluctuate, hatches come and go or the sun rises and sets, fish move to feed, seek shelter and remain comfortable. Here are 5 types of water that are often discarded or passed by for “better†areas.
The water immediately in front of you
After years of guiding one of the most common things I told people was to scoot back and fish right in front of them. Anglers have a tendency to want to make long casts, fish the middle of the river or even the opposite bank line without ever fishing what’s right at their feet. This is especially important as fish move out of deeper lies and position themselves in shallow water in anticipation of a hatch.
I have watched as countless anglers, new and old, fish overtop of feeding fish in order to try and hit the deepest sections of a pool or run. Don’t overlook the water that’s right in front of you, be observant, even if you have given it a once-through keep your eyes open as conditions, water temps and hatches are always changing.
Shallow sections of a lake or pond
There are much more appealing areas of a lake or pond than the shallow mud flat or weed bed, however, during the spring and fall, these areas often hold big fish. As the ice breaks up in the spring or temps drop in the fall fish can move into extremely shallow areas to stay comfortable or feed on chironomids, scuds, minnows or damselflies. These shallow areas warm up quickly in the sun and provide a good place for trout to sunbath or cruise looking for an easy meal. In my opinion, few things in fishing are more exciting than stalking a trout as it lazily feeds in shallow water.
Urban waters
Urban waters are typically not where we look for our next fishing spot but they can be a great place to pursue fish and more so when we are in a time crunch. Lunch breaks, between work and the house or running daily errands all provide a good excuse to sneak away to a local urban fishery and get a quick fix.
Backwaters or swampy flood zones of a river
These types of water mostly are passed by as we opt for a nice current with an obvious holding zone. Shallow, swampy backwaters can be tough to fish and don’t always hold fish, however, there are times when fish move into these areas to feed. A prime example of this is during the evening when trout, particularly brown trout, move into these areas to feed on mice, minnows or smaller trout under the cover of darkness. Take the time to scout areas like this out during the day and target the places where a big trout would enter or exit the area. They will often come in and hang out near a substantial depth change, shelf or near some cover where food might be hiding.
Springs
During the summer temps soar and drop below comfort levels in the winter but a spring provides more constant temperatures for fish. Trout move to these areas to overwinter or escape hot summer water. If you are unsure of where you might find a spring search local maps as they likely have springs marked on them. It’s always smart to note a spring when you find one, as they will almost certainly hold fish for much or all of the year.
Derek Olthuis is a creator and fly fisherman with Western Waters Media. Make sure to check him out on Instagram @derekolthuis!
Flylords: Tell us a little about yourself:
What we’ve been doing the last couple years since it’s been legal to do, is fishing 12 months a year. And we’re catching these fish in 33-degree water or we’re catching these fish in 80-degree water. For the most part, the bite can be finicky, then you have those days, it happens three, four, five times a year where it’s just lights out. You can’t keep the fish off your line. Being in southeast Michigan, you’d think the rivers would all be pretty similar but every one of them is super unique. I’m not sure exactly how many miles we have to fish, but there are six rivers and I think the shortest one is 40 miles. So if you can do the math, there’s a shitload of water around here. And not a lot of people doing it.
As water levels rise, the marsh habitat in Lake Okeechobee is flooded. During periods of heavy rain, Lake Okeechobee levels rise so much that the water must be discharged into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers. This feeds toxic algae blooms, kills seagrass and oyster beds, and causes long-term damage to our estuaries.
The solution is simple- Everglades restoration. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) was passed in the year 2000 and provides a roadmap to saving the Glades. CERP projects have stagnated for 18 years due to lack of funding and political will. Captains for Clean Water is currently working on federal authorization for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, which will store and treat Lake Okeechobee’s polluted freshwater so it can be sent south to the Everglades. We need your help getting this authorized by the US Senate! Click the link below to find out how you can help.
