Lake Travis Fishing Report - December 2019

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Michael Leal with a nice 3 1/2 Lake Travis bass caught during the Turnover

Fozzy Whittaker with a few of the over 40 bass caught that day!

Water Level: 670.27

Water Temp: 63.0 degrees

If you’ve been out on the water the past few days, you may have noticed that the normally crystal clear waters on Lake Travis are now cloudy and slightly stained in many areas. We haven’t had hardly any runoff from rain, boat traffic has been very minimal, winds have been low, and water temps and sunlight haven’t been warm and prevalent enough to create an algae bloom. So why the sudden change in water clarity? The answer is Fall Turnover.

To understand Fall Turnover, you have to understand the state of the water in the summer. During the summer, the top layer (also referred to as the epilimnion) is the warmest. It is heated by the sun. The bottom layer where the sun’s rays can’t reach (also referred to as the hypolimnion) is the coldest. The two layers are separated by the thermocline. During the fall, the warm surface water begins to cool. As it cools, it becomes dense causing it to sink. This now sinking dense top layer mixes with the nutrient-rich bottom layer causing a “Turnover” effect, thus staining the water. Not only is water clarity affected but oxygen and PH levels are also altered.

If you’ve ever brought a fish home from the pet store and tried to feed them right away, you may have noticed that it takes them a few days before they eat. This is because their bodies are in a little bit of shock from being taken from their pet store fish tank to your fish tank and need time to adjust to their new environment. The same thing happens with the fish in a lake. Fall Turnover has been known to cause fish kills in some extreme cases, mainly in smaller ponds where the fish have nowhere to go.

So if you’re on a lake that has just turned over, what do you do? On a lake as big as Travis, there are certainly places where Turnover does not happen. These areas not only have resident fish that are stable, they are also attracting non-resident fish seeking refuge from the turned over parts of the lake. I identify these areas simply by looking at the water clarity. If I have stained water on the main lake where turnover has occurred, I am now looking for areas with the clear water that I am accustomed to seeing. Recently I’ve been finding these areas halfway to all the way in the back of cuts and creeks.

There is a lot of truth to the old adage that 10% percent of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish. This is mainly because these anglers are fishing where the fish are. They know where the fish are because they understand what is happening in the marine environment they are fishing in. 99% of the time, if I can find them, I can catch them. And I’m catching plenty of them on Lake Travis, despite the Fall Turnover!!

I still have availability for December, so please call if you would like to book a trip!

Guided Fishing Trips
For updates or to book a trip, give me a call at 915-217-5263 or email me at raytomasits@yahoo.com

Tight Lines!

Ray Tomasits - Hill Country Bass Coach

www.hcbasscoach.com