Americans love to partake in freshwater fishing. Annually, around 50 million Americans enjoy some recreational fishing at some point in the year. Freshwater fishing is a trendy sport in the United States because fishing is both exciting and relaxing. Plenty of families spend days together out on lakes or in boats while they freshwater fish. Because you get to be out in nature while you enjoy this sport, freshwater fishing provides a bevy of benefits for everybody.
What time is good for freshwater fishing? When figuring out a good time for freshwater fishing, you’ll need to consider things like weather, currents, and light levels. You’ll also need to know a few things about how the time of the day, seasons, and temperature can affect where and when you’ll be looking to fish.
Since there isn’t a lot of information available on the Internet today about freshwater fishing, we’ve created this guide to help you out. Annually, we have around fifty million Americans recreationally fishing yearly, meaning freshwater fishing is a trendy hobby to have in the United States. So, to give you some help assessing the best time for freshwater fishing, we’ll cover how weather, currents, and light levels need to be considered. Then we’ll discuss the times of the day and seasons, and how those can affect where and when you’ll be fishing.
What Time Is Good for Freshwater Fishing?
One benefit you’ll get when freshwater fishing is that you don’t need to worry about tides when you are freshwater fishing. That’s because there aren’t many tides in freshwater lakes and rivers, so you won’t need to concern yourself with tides. However, you’ll still need to think about a few issues when trying to figure out the best time to go freshwater fishing, including weather, currents, and light levels. We’ll cover each one of these issues in a bit more detail below.
Weather and Timing
While you might not realize it initially, the weather will play a significant factor in assessing a good time for freshwater fishing, much like the weather also affects the timing in saltwater areas. If you think about it, you can probably come up with several reasons why the weather will affect when you are fishing. Since waves can create noise and scare off fish, clouds can affect light levels, and wind can push bait in a bevy of different directions, you’ll need to pay attention.
One thing you’ll need to learn how to assess is the impact of rain, or how not having rain can also impact a particular area. Rain can massively affect how high the water level is in a lake or a pond, and also influences the amount of runoff you’ll see in streams and rivers. Even when trying to figure out when to fish, you’ll most likely want to stay away from some fishing spots when it’s pouring because you might feel there is too much mud in a particular area.
On the other hand, you can use a light rain to your advantage when you want to fish. You can use a light rain to hide from the fish since raindrops help break up the view of you the fish have when they look up through the water. You’ll also experience this effect if you are fishing from the shore or fishing from a boat. Keep in mind that when it rains, several insects and bait wind up in the water. With so much extra food available, you’ll wind up seeing freshwater fish in the middle of a feeding binge whenever this happens.
Currents and Timing
You’ll also need to factor in a few things about currents when figuring out when you should freshwater fish. Currents in freshwater fishing can vary quite a bit depending on the type of body of water you are fishing in. If you are in a moving body of water like a river, you’ll have a lot of varying currents. However, you won’t have much of a current to deal with when fishing in a pond or lake.
One way you can use the current for figuring out when and where to freshwater fish is to look for interruptions in a moving flow. For example, finding an eddy in a river could be an interruption in a moving current. Locating breaks in a current moving means you’re finding great spots to fish right at that moment that works as fishing hotspots.
On occasion, you’ll also find currents in a body of water you are fishing in when following the wind. So, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the wind when you are trying to figure out the currents as well as where and when to fish.
Light Levels and Timing
Another thing you’ll need to factor in when freshwater fishing is the position of the sun and clouds. Just like saltwater fishing, the location of the sun and clouds can affect the way a person approaches freshwater fishing. When freshwater fishing, you’ll also need to factor in the concept of shade.
On very sunny, warm days, most freshwater fish look to pool up and hang out in shaded areas. So, you’ll want to look for groups of fish under docks, under fallen trees, or underneath branches.
Now that we’ve covered a bit about finding the best time to do your freshwater fishing, we’ll breakdown the four-time periods you’ll have each day for fishing to help you better prepare your fishing schedule.
The Four Time Periods for Fishing
To help you better understand the best times of day for freshwater fishing, we’ll cover the four-time periods for fishing below. Now, you might still be wondering when the best time of day is for you to fish. However, there are so many variables that you need to consider and factor in before you can make that decision; there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question.
So, what’s the best time of day for you to fish? Honestly, we feel you should go fishing when your schedule allows you to do so. People get so busy nowadays; it can be hard enough to plan a few hours out to fish. So, fish when you want to fish. However, we’ll cover the four-time periods for fishing so that you understand a little bit more about where you’ll find fish whenever you go freshwater fishing.
#1: Early Morning Fishing
The first period you’ll have each day is the early morning. Right before dawn during the early morning, the water temperature of the body of water you are fishing in should be at its lowest point. So, if it’s late spring, summer, or early fall when the daytime temperature tends to get very hot, this is a great time to fish. More than likely, fish will be more active in the earlier mornings when the weather is cooler, and inactive in the late day when the weather is hot.
Another reason why it’s nice to go fishing in the early morning is that you won’t wind up running into several people out on the water at this time. There won’t be much traffic as families and people with children coming to enjoy the water won’t be up and out yet. So, you’ll have a lot more space for peace, which also gives you an advantage when fishing.
Another beautiful thing about doing some early morning fishing is that the light levels at this time of day are very low. So, if you are fishing for species like bass and catfish that see better in lower light, then you’re fishing at the right time. Also, if it’s summer, you’ll find that flying insects are very active in the mornings, which means they’ll hit the water and attract some fish interested in catching them. That means there are also several kinds of fish that are more prone to biting during this time of day.
If it’s wintertime, however, then you probably want to avoid doing some early morning fishing. If you are going to fish in the winter, the water and air temperatures will be too cold during the winter for fish to be active and looking for food.
#2 Late Morning and Early Afternoon Fishing
During the warmer seasons, you’ll probably wind up encountering difficulty if you fish during the late morning and early afternoon. That’s because when the weather is warmer, fish tend to swim deeper down where the water is cooler and more comfortable for them. Another reason why fish tend to hang out more toward the bottom at this time of day has to do with the sun’s rays since they are the strongest during the late morning and early afternoon.
Because of the heat and the sun’s rays, many fish, including bass, will decide to go to the depths in search of colder water. Also, most things fish prey on have excellent vision during this time of day, so it typically isn’t prime time for fish to be hunting and biting, either.
However, you can still fish during the late morning and early afternoon if certain conditions apply. If it’s rainy outside, or the weather is overcast, and you won’t have so much sun to deal with, then you’ll have a better chance of catching fish at this point of the day. Any weather condition that reduces the strength of the sun during the late morning and early afternoon will bolster your potential for fishing success.
Also, during the colder times of the year, fishing during the late morning and early afternoon then become the best time of day for you to perform your freshwater fishing. That’s because when the weather is cold outside, the fish look forward to the sun’s rays heating the water. Once the water heats up during the late morning and early afternoon of the colder months, fish start biting and eating, making this the perfect time to fish during the winter months.
#3 Late Evening Fishing
If you enjoy having your fishing spot during a quiet time, then the late evening, like the early morning, is also a great time to fish when the weather is warmer, usually during spring, summer, and fall. During the late evening, the sun is very low in the sky, meaning the water will start cooling off. When the weather is warm outside, that means the fish start becoming active and feed more often during the late evening during the warmer seasons. Also, certain predatory fish, like bass, prefer to swim when the light is low, so you’ll see more fish out hunting during this time of day.
During the colder winter months, you may still be able to catch some fish during the earlier parts of the afternoon since some fish are still very active in the winter. However, once the sun sets during the winter months, the water will get too cold for the fish to be very busy, so keep that in mind.
#4 Night Fishing
During the warmer months, fish become very active between sundown and midnight, meaning it’s a great time to fish when the temperature is hot outside. However, you’ll have to keep in mind the low light conditions when you decide how to approach your fish using your tackle and techniques. Luckily, many prized fish like walleye, catfish, and bass are out feeding during the first part of the evening. Also, if you’ve got plenty of moonlight, you should consider using some topwater fish action since the fish will be able to see your lure from deep down quickly.
After the first part of the night passes, the activity level among fish tends to drop continually. Even after the activity level of the fish starts to dip, you’ll still be able to catch fish now and then during this time of day, so there’s no reason not to give it an attempt.
During the cold winter months, the cooler weather puts a damper on your ability to freshwater fish at night. That’s because most fish don’t eat much during the winter, and when they eat, they don’t usually do it in the dead of night.
Now that we’ve covered the times of the day when you’ll want to approach freshwater fishing depending on the season, we’ll include some other factors you’ll want to consider when timing your next freshwater fishing trip.
Other Factors to Consider When Timing Your Freshwater Fishing Trip
When we discussed the best times of day to fish depending on the season above, we covered how important temperature is, and how much that can affect the activity levels of the fish at different times of the day. A few other factors that can affect your freshwater fishing timing is the tides, weather, and safety. We’ll cover these factors in more detail below.
Factor #1: Tides
While most anglers consider tides when performing saltwater fishing, tides are still something to consider when freshwater fishing, especially if you are fishing off of a lake beach. When tides are incoming, many people find that they can catch a few fish. However, other anglers prefer to catch fish when the tides are outgoing. While there is no one-size-fits-all rule for everybody and we can’t guess which type of tide you’d prefer, you can always play around, get some experience, and figure this out.
Remember, every day; you get two high tides and two low tides. These tides are spread apart by 12 hours. By experimenting with these tides, you should be able to figure out what type of tide works best for you, and when.
Factor #2: Weather
We mentioned weather briefly above when we talked about how a light rain can cool the water’s surface and affect fishing conditions. If it’s mid-day, or you are planning to fish during the summer, light rain or an overcast day can be a great time to fish. Fish tend to become more active during rains and cloudy days when the weather is hot outside.
On the other hand, cold rains will kill any fishing day you have planned. If a cold rain hits during the fall or early spring, it will most likely kill the activity level of the fish. At that point, you know you should probably avoid fishing that day.
Factor #3: Safety
You’re also going to need to consider the most important factor, safety before you embark on your freshwater fishing adventures. Not only do you want to think about how the time of day might impact the activity level of the fish, but you also need to think about how the times of day might affect you while you fish. You want to go fishing when you enjoy the weather, and you feel safe outside. That’s because it’s a well-known fact that when people are comfortable while fishing, they catch more fish.
You’ll need to factor in things like bugs, which will be everywhere in the late afternoons, and how to dress to ward off the insects. Make sure you bring along some bug spray and sunscreen. If you fish at night, you’ll want to make sure you take along a lantern. Also, if you are planning to be gone for most of the day, don’t forget things like a cooler, drinks, and snacks.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve covered the best times of day to freshwater fish and we’ve taught you how to factor in things like time, season, temperature, and weather, you should be able to assess the best time for you and your family to freshwater fish. So, it’s time to get out there on the lake and enjoy some freshwater fishing!