Lake or river over Winter?

[Rice Crackers]

OK so I'm an occasional angler but I've only recently got back into fishing properly. Last year was the most times I've been fishing in about 15 years. I've got the bug back and I'm loving it even if I feel like I've got alot to re-learn.

 

I've always fished during summer, I haven't fished in the cold since I was a kid but I'm missing the fishing so much I've just cleared it with the other half that I can go next Saturday. So my question is, river or lake? I'm guessing that a river would be a better bet because they tend to run a fraction warmer than lakes and the fish themselves tend to be little warmer as they need to keep moving.

 

Can anyone offer any advice? It's so long since I've done this I don't really know where to begin...

 

Cheers

 

RC

 

 

[BoldBear]

Once the temperatures start to get into single figures I usually stick to moving waters.

 

Fish in moving waters need to replenish their energy (by feeding) more often than their stillwater brethren simply because they are usually having to fight against currents using energy just to stay still; unlike their stillwater brethren who can remain fairly torpid once the temperatures start to drop.

 

Even in freezing cold temperatures; as long as the temperatures have been fairly steady for a few days or are starting to rise a little I am usually much more confident of catching fish in a moving river or stream than a Stillwater.

 

The only times I make exceptions to this rule is when I am going to fish a local stillwater which has several warm springs erupting from its bed or another stillwater that has a few sheltered bays which in winter Sun often become sun traps.

 

Keith (BoldBear)

Edited January 24, 2014 by BoldBear

[Newt]

Also, bear in mind that in cold water a change of even 0.5ºC can make a difference - fish will seek it out - so look for an area that has reason to be even slightly warmer.

[azrael]

river fishing is better option in winter but when you had the bad weather conditions like recently fishing lakes may be the only choice

[Rice Crackers]

Thanks for the advice everyone, and it more or less sums up what I was thinking.

 

Azrael, I took a walk round the area I'm looking at fishing yesterday and it was a raging torrent. Very high indeed and probably not practical unless the level drops a bit.

[Steve Walker]

The river fish are just as cold as the stillwater ones, they just don't have the option of conserving energy and not eating.

[Anderoo]

I prefer to fish the rivers, but stillwaters can still be good if you set your stall out for suitable species like perch, pike, roach. Also, winter is a good time to fish for the big fish - whereas in summer you might catch lots of smaller fish, in winter you're more likely to catch fewer but bigger fish of the same species.

 

A very broad generalisation, but it's basically true, and applies equally to rivers and stillwaters. If you do fish the rivers, the most obliging fish of all is the chub.

[The Flying Tench]

An exception to the difficulty of fishing still waters in winter is highly overstocked commercial fisheries. I think others will agree that there they will keep on biting all through the year.