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 living in Alexandria, Minnesota. For more information you can contact him at Agape Fishing Guides visit the agapefishingguides website.By: Wayne Ek
