Flood Stage




As most people know, with the recent rain and run off most rivers and streams are experiencing flood stage water levels. fisherman hope for coming rain and warm weather to induce the push of migratory steelhead. A little bit of rain and run off is a good thing but a lot of rain and runoff isn't. In the past week, rivers like the Manistee, Rifle river, Meskegon river, White river, Kalamazoo river,  and the Grand river all are experience extreme floods. With an inch-two of rain that fell over nearly the whole state, combined with the plentiful snow amounts and a frozen ground preventing filtration the odds of a flash flood were very high.

Why are floods good? Floods and higher water conditions not only clear out reminding shelf ice in some rivers but the rising water levels and temperatures trigger a fish's response to swim up into a river in search of spawning grounds which they either spawn on or hold in the river to await optimum water temperatures for their spawning ritual to commence. High waters bring a lot of hopes for fisherman and steelhead alike. As water recede fish get shifted back into their normal lies and fisherman have the ability to hopefully present their fly or lure past more fish which in terms allows an angler to have a higher chance of a successful outing.

Why are floods bad? Little floods are ok, but big floods are very bad for the ecosystem. With high water comes a lot of suspended sediment being blown down river. This increase in sediment is very harsh on fish and can kill large amounts of fish. For a fish to breathe it must push all that sediment filled water through its gills. Though too much, for too long will kill most fish who can't find a safe refuge. Along with sediment, debris is a very big issue. With the fish's inability to see more than a few inches in the dirty water, it leaves fish vulnerable to sheets of ice, trees, fishing line from the banks, and many object be blown down river. These factors alone contribute a high percentage to the total fish kill. In these high water floods either fish have to get out or swim far enough up stream to escape the effects of lower river suspended sediments. It is probable that the majority of fish who will push up river will recede with the excessive growing water leaves and deadly water conditions. As the water is still high but coming down gradually, will then be when a steelhead will make his journey back into the river.

Word Count:438




Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 28, 2018 at 10:26 PM

    I'm hoping that we can dodge a few rain showers until or rivers clear out so we can all get out on the water soon.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flow like The River

Image
           Fishing is what gives my life meaning. Something about the ability to spend the rest of my life improving myself and expanding my horizons in many aspects of fishing nearly promises happiness for the rest of my life. The second someone believes they know it all is the second they proved to be foolish. Michigan alone has 10,000 lakes and 10,000 barriers for me to overcome. To learn every single one in Michigan would take many life times to achieve. A fisherman could spend their whole life learning one body of water and will never know everything there is to be known. The area for growth is endless.               My love for rivers has to do with the fact that if you stand in one spot for any given time, the water in front of you is continuously rejuvenated. With new water comes new change. Sediment is deposited, and sediment is carried away. The river is always changing. Life is always changing. A river is metaphorically a symbol of life. Life will change but it will a
Read more

A Day on the River

Image
Why did I choose this topic as the foundation for this blog? I figured since this is my first post I’d like to give a little insight into the life on the river. A day on the river involves much more than a day waiting for fish to bite. Many times, the day starts well before sun rise. The Hardest Part of the Day                  At 5:00 am the horrid sound of an alarm set to high volume chimes. This is the hardest part of the day. Every time, I drag myself out of bed and contemplate sleeping in for just a few more minutes. After a battle with myself to wake up, I always start the morning by cooking my Lawn Boy signature 5-star meal: unseasoned chicken with boiled noodles, covered in the cheapest tomato sauce you can find. Believe me, it tastes great… but apparently my buddies say it doesn’t have the most beautiful aroma. My meals are made, my gear is loaded, and I head out the door. A typical morning commute to the river is between one hour and two and a half depending
Read more

The River Experience

Winter warm up Last weekend, Michigan went from a frozen tundra to a warm beautiful sunny weekend. Nothing beats a warm day after months of freezing temperatures and a depressing lack of sun exposure. To cure the winter blues I headed out for my weekly fishing excursion. The best thing about a warm-up is the fact you can wake up and not have to sit In a partially frozen automobile, hoping you won’t crash due to the lack of visibility. You can almost wake up and smell the excitement going around. The birds, the squirrels and even the people seem to be energized by this beautiful weather. What I like the most about a warm-up is the fact the fish love it too. My journey took me to the Pere Marquette River In search of winter steelhead. In my last blog post, I discussed the experience of fighting fish but lacked the description of the atmosphere of a river. The atmosphere of the river is almost what fishermen feed off of. Something about the how the sun feels extra toasty
Read more