Learning
to fish a new lake can be a time consuming and daunting task. If
you could spend as much time on the water as you wanted to, the
task would become that much easier; but for most folks that’s
just not a practical option. With the technology available today
there are some short cuts that will make learning a new lake faster
and easier. This article will give you some insight and ideas that
can help you figure out a new lake a little quicker.
To learn a new lake you have to be willing to do some "off
the water" homework, things like studying lake maps and doing
some research on the Internet. Once you do "hit the water" you
have to be willing to put down the fishing rod and do some exploring
with your electronics and a good lake map. No one I know can learn
a new body of water in just one day, no matter how talented they
are. Even picking apart a small body of water will take more than
one outing. On larger lakes and reservoirs it can take weeks to
acquire the most elementary understanding of the layout and dynamics
of a particular lake. And each change of season can and will change
the dynamics of that particular lake.
Homework:
Learning a new lake really involves research into its ecological
make-up, the topography of the lake and the history of the lake.
What type of water
is it? Is it a reservoir or a natural lake? If it's a reservoir
the water levels are dictated by man and can fluctuate drastically
over a short period of time. Where as the water levels on a natural
lake are usually dictated by nature and tend to stay fairly constant,
effected only by rain, run-off or drought. In the upper mid-west
you will find reservoirs and 3 types of natural lakes, Eutrophic
lakes (commonly called prairie pot-hole lakes), Oligotrophic lakes
(referred to as Canadian shield lakes) and finally Mesotrophic lakes
(which falls in between the other two). Why is the type of lake
important? By having an idea as to what type of water you're
researching you should have some insight as to what the topography
of the lake could look like and what species of fish could be present.
The type of lake you're researching is nothing more than a starting point and one piece
of the puzzle.
The topography or structure of the lake is a very important part
of the puzzle. To be really good at picking apart a new lake you
have to be good at map reading. We're not talking about street
maps; we are talking about topographical maps (topo maps). If you
can read a topo map then reading a hydrographic map (contour map)
will be a breeze. So... if you are not good at map reading
pick up a DVD or book on map reading and develop some skill in reading
and understanding a map. You need to know what a shallow or deep-water
flat looks like, how to find a sharp break, what a hump or saddle
is. It's not hard and once you understand how to read a map
it will make you a much better angler.
When I'm researching the topography of a new lake I use both
the Internet, a Lake
Master DVD and if the research is for an upcoming
tournament a Lake Master paper map of the lake. One thing that has
really helped me get a good visual idea as to what the lake will
look like is to lay the Lake Master paper map out next to the computer,
then pull up one of the many satellite photo or aerial photo sites
that are available on the web. Looking at a good aerial photo of
a lake with a paper map next to it makes some of the potential hot-spots
just jump out at you. It has also given me some heads-up on possible
hazards.
The next piece of the puzzle to research from home is the basic
ecology of a new lake. Most fish and game agencies now have tons
of lake management information available to the public thru the
Internet. The items you want to look for are:
- Is there a fishable population
of the fish you're
after?
- What species of fish is the lake managed for?
- What species
of forage fish are in the lake?
- Does the lake have state or private
access sights?
- A secchi disk (water clarity) reading.
- The water color
of the lake; is it clear, green or tannic?
- The median and maximum
depths.
So why are these items so
important? Well, let's assume you're
a walleye angler. You would certainly like to know if the new
lake has walleyes in it and if the lift-count (number of fish
taken from a gill net or trap net during a set time period) is
high enough to justify spending time fishing the lake for walleyes.
The secchi disk reading along with the water color gives you an
idea if the lake will have a night time or day time bite. The
forage fish present also gives you some idea as to which color
and size baits us use.
Almost done, but next we need to take a quick look at the history
of the lake. Again almost all this information is available via
the Internet. Is this lake prone to winter or summer kill? If so
when was the last time it experienced a kill? What do the stocking
reports say, when was it last stocked and with what species. And
if you can find a length of selected species report, which lists
the length in inches of the species surveyed by gill/trap net. This
can give you an idea as to the fishable size, strength/numbers and
year class of certain species.
Once you get off the computer, pick up a phone and call some bait
shops, resorts or a local guide. See if they are willing to tell
you about the lake. Staying with the walleye theme is the lake known
as a walleye lake. Is it productive year round or better in one
season than another? Do they know of any danger spots in the lake?
Things like unmarked rock piles or isolated large rocks. If it's
a prairie pothole lake, are there old submerged fence poles to be
on the lookout for?
On the water:
Finally you've made it to the lake. All that homework will
certainly cut down on time you will need to do some on the water
exploration. But you still have to leave the rods and reels in the
locker and do a little exploring. My routine on a large body of
water, (over 1000 acres), is to break the lake down into sections.
On a smaller body of water I will try to explore the whole lake
in one outing. I start by cruising the shorelines first, looking
at the man-made cover, docks, boatlifts and any natural cover. Things
like lay-downs, sunken logs or stump fields. Check out any river
or creek flowing into or out of a body of water. You're checking
to see how deep it is, if it's navigable and what kind of
flow it has. While cruising keep an eye open for aquatic transition
points, pad fields turning into cattail edges or pencil reeds mixed
in with coontail or cabbage. You're also looking at any deep
breaks, checking to see if there is cabbage or coontail on them.
If it's later in the season you can actually see the cabbage
buds breaking the surface of the water. This is where good electronics
come into play, as most good electronics will pick-up submergant
vegetation. Finally, check the humps and bars. What is the bottom
content? Does it transition from one form to another? This is when
an underwater camera becomes a very good investment. During your
phone calls if someone did tell you about any underwater hazards
go look for them, GPS their locations and see if they might be worth
fishing.
We're done. Break out the fishing rods and have at it. Remember,
be patient. No one can unravel all the intricacies of a new lake
in just one outing.
As always stay safe and we hope to see you on the water.
Wayne Ek is a fishing guide, tournament angler and writer in Alexandria
Minnesota.
You can reach Wayne Ek at Agape Fishing Guides, www.agapefishingguides.com
