Thread: Thermocline on Jordan

This is a good thread and a great topic of conversation. The thermocline is a very real and present factor in summertime fishing for any species of fish and I believe it is the reason for statement "Dead Sea" being born and used among fishermen who say they can't buy a bite. Case in point: I heard a couple of fishermen say how Shearon Harris Lake used to be such an awesome place to fish; a lake where you could always catch all of the crappie you wanted to; but now due to what they complained was excessive fishing pressure... has turned into nothing more than the "dead sea."

After answering their question as to how I'd done that day and upon hearing my response that I had caught my fair share... I went on to ask them how and at what depth they were fishing. Well, I found out real quick that they were fishing well below the thermocline where (I'm sure) it is very much like fishing in the "Dead Sea". They looked at me with the same puzzled look that they might if I would have had three heads.

My point is: You would be surprised to know just how many... even "so called" veterans of fishing... don't really understand or have the first clue about water layering and/or the whole thermocline thing of summertime fishing.

Originally Posted by ScooperDude

Ok crazy question,I've had several Lawrence products that showed the Thermocline as a wide line across the screen. I now have a Humminbird and haven't seen the line, does the Hummer show a line or something like a mist?

slowly turn up the sensitiviy until it shows up, looks like a thick haze to me

gobbler, I have the haze, just didn't think it was the thermocline
Thanks

Thanks for the post. I went to shearon Harris this evening and did the best I've done since winter time. I fished a drop off in about 18 fow. On my fish finder the thermocline was around 10ft. Thanks again for the great advice and the screenshots to explain it

Even if you don't have electronics on your boat, I've read where guys like to do the minnow test. Drop one down starting at around 8' and see if they are alive. Keep dropping by one foot until the minnow dies. Then you know you are too deep and back up a little shallower.

Fishing the thermocline is a lot like Winter fishing in that water temp's dictate where the vast majority of fish will be. Take Harris in the Winter--you know they will be up the channel from the dam because the shad are looking for the deepest, warmest water on the lake. From now till probably mid to late September, the crappie will all be located in 12' or less of water, so nature automatically eliminates large amounts of water as crappie habitat making it easier for us to find them. One problem that still exists is I do not care for heat and humidity, so can't wait till cooler, Fall temp's to return.

Special K--good to hear from you. Haven't see a post from you lately and glad you are still out there. With all the small fish we have been catching on Harris, give that lake a couple of years and you should be catching some nice fish on that lake.

Wife bought me a clinefinder a couple of years ago, I use that to verify at Humminbird.

Great information, I've been fishing Badin this summer. I've thought about the thermocline but didn't realize it would show up on my Lowrance. I've been doing well, mainly on two different spots which have been consistently holding quality fish. The depths are in 25' to 30' and 35' to 40'. Both have brush piles on them.

Thanks for the excellent info and screen shots. It has greatly helped me understand my Humminbird screens and my fish catching ability. I really didn't know that the thermocline played a role in the summer. Only thought it was relevant in the winter.