Thread: Why do our Lakes turn on and off???

I don't know. Last winter Carl Blackwell was on major fire. This winter nope.

I think the numbers play a big issue and water level this yr on Eufaula I have fished this lake for 40 yrs always been able to find and catch fish from fall to early summer the rest of the yr I'm at a loss after visiting with you a few weeks ago I'm convinced that I need to upgrade electronics to extend my season but don't know much about them and when I do would like to get the most bang for my buck on cheap if that's possible, that being said I think the repot on Eufaula will improve in the next couple wks with warmer weather more folks be getting on the water.

I think the numbers has much to do with it, lets say we have a bad spawn 1 year and then maybe a bad spawn the next, then we have a huge gap in the size of fish we catch and keep. Most of us keep fish around the 10 inches and bigger. If a lake misses 2 years we notice. As for other species of fish like catfish we dont notice as much because the life spans are diffrent. A good example of this is Lake Oologah they are catching lots of fish around 10 inches there right now. Odie and I agree that they had a fantastic spawn 2-3 years ago. I know other factors to consider like water level plays a huge roll. Most really good crappie lakes have good tributaries in them. Like Lake Wister (what a fishery). As for Eufaula I break it up into 5 sections because it is so big, its like 5 20,000 acre lakes. EB

Will be watching this, so I can learn something.

I certainly think the numbers do play a part. I don't have a clue so hoping to hear some logical ideas that will help me.

I can give one bit of input. On Xkiller last winter we were fishing 37 degree water for a lot of the winter and the fish were really schooled up. This year the coldest I have seen it is 44 degrees and the fishing hasn't been as good as it was last year. I know those colder temps relate to Kaw and Oologah also.

We definatly consider you an "expert" on Tenkiller for sure Redge. Do you think that's why Tenkiller wasnt as good this february?

I think spawn numbers has alot to do with it. Plus the ''hotspots'' dont repopulate as well from the lack of numbers. Think about what our hotspots were 5 or 6 years ago compared to now. Remember how the triangle did last year. For some reason the areas dont repopulate so it has got to be from numbers.
Andy

Its just my theory, but having fished Kaw lake since it was impounded in 1976, I have a feel for why its on fire now, and has been for the last 3 years.
Its water levels during spawning season.
Since Kaw is the first dam on the Arkansas River, it takes the brunt of the runoff from The snow melt in Colorado, rain in Kansas and Northern Ok., buffering the water fluctuations for the down stream lakes.
I can't remember a single spring that the lake levels didn't go up during the spawn 10-20 feet at times, only to be drawn down a foot a day depending on how many gates are open.
Since the drought started 5 years ago, water levels have remained stable during the spawn. Not only crappie but bass which need real stable water levels to spawn have benefitted. Bass tourneys back 10 years ago were won with two or three fish weighing a max of 3 lbs. Now they are catching limits of 5 fish with 20# stringer weights at times.
For years, we never caught small crappie. Just about everything was a slab. Now with the stable water levels, 4-6" crappie are being caught in big numbers.

So, using those anecdotal observations, that is why I think Kaw is loaded with crappie, and just getting better.

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