by Marc Phillippe Babineau

Created on: September 06, 2010

The ideal times and conditions for fishing will depend upon the fish species that you are fishing for, and the time of year that you are fishing.  There are other factors that go into this query, like the barometer readings, cloud cover and water temperature, as well as water clarity, whether a storm has just passed or is on the way, and the time of day that you are fishing.

Many fish species will forage for food at sunup and sundown more than at any other time of day, like most species of trout will do.  The brook, or speckled trout is one of the most sought-after sport fish, both for it’s fighting ability and the taste of the meat when cooked properly, and will bite your baited hooks more frequently during the early morning hours (before 6am) and at twilight (after 8pm).  Most sport fish will take your offerings at these times of day, as there is little sun, which means less shadows on the shorelines for river and brook fishing.

During the early morning and late evening hours, the sport fish can be located a lot closer to shore than at any other time of day.  If a storm has just passed, or is about to thrash your location, then fishing results will increase, as the sport fish will eat more at these times in order to have a full belly during the time that the storm is pounding the lake, and thrashing the surface of the water with large waves.  You will catch more fish during the few hours just before and just after a large storm cell is about to, or has just passed through your location.

If you are a serious fisherman, then a barometer should be hanging on your door, or at least in your boat.  When the barometer starts to change readings, start fishing, as this is one of the best conditions for fishing for sport fish.  Trout, the king of the sport fish, will bite more frequently when the barometer is on the move, as will bass, pickerel and many saltwater fish.  Other freshwater fish, like catfish, whitefish and other bottom feeders will feed at any time of day and during all weather conditions.

The ideal times and conditions for fishing may also depend upon your geographical location, the time of year and the depth and temperature of the waters you are fishing.  If you are fishing in a large body of water, like one of the Great Lakes, the Great Slave or great Bear Lakes, which are the biggest and deepest lakes in North America, if not the world.  In these types of water bodies, if you are fishing the deepest reaches of the lakes, the time of day and weather conditions do not matter as much, as they do not affect the conditions 200 feet or deeper in a lake or river (the Rupert and Broadback rivers, in northern Quebec, are more than 200 feet deep in many spots).

So, watch for the ideal weather conditions, and set out early in the mornings, long before the sun rises, or shortly before it sets, in order to catch more fish, and possibly a trophy for your walls.

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