Article: Fishing High Water

Driving over the Eau Claire River last week, after the heavy rainfall, really got me thinking. The river was angry and swollen as its chocolate-colored water gushed frantically downstream. High water levels are a fact of life for anyone fishing a river system. Resulting from snow melts or a heavy rain, higher than usual water conditions can make fishing challenging to say the least. While many anglers may avoid fishing during these periods there is still action to be found; like fishermen, the fish don’t just stop eating, they adjust to the changing conditions.

For starters, know the stretch of river you're fishing. While there’s no doubt that reading water comes in handy, there is simply no substitute for knowing the water you fish. Whether you are here on the mighty Wisconsin or Fox Rivers, or the smaller Eau Claire or Plover Rivers, during high water fish will hang tighter to structure such as ledges, boulders, trees, stumps, etc. At times in higher flow rates the telltale signs of these pieces of structure won't be visible on the surface--there's no way you'd know that they're there unless you identified during lower and clearer water conditions.

Inside seams are always good bets in high water conditions—these areas that are often a slower speed than the main current provide resting and holding places for weary fish. Fish are looking to get out of the heavy flow so sharp corners or bends that have a well defined inside seam; often times these places will have an eddy circling back around as well and are great places to find your quarry under these conditions.

Drop-offs that go from shallow-to-deep are also locations anglers should commit to memory and target during these times. Situations with these characteristics will create eddies along the channel bottom which can also serve as resting places for fish in less than ideal flows.

Another great habit to get in to be keeping a detailed log of your outings, including GPS coordinates and marked fishing maps. For some reason fish like to sit in particular lies when flows are up and not others despite many similarities between the two. Keeping track of these tendencies can cut down on the time an angler would spend fishing spots that simply don't hold fish under those conditions.

Lastly, take notice of certain specific reference points--boulders, trees, banks, etc. so you will be able to tell exactly how high up the water is, and then adjust accordingly when fishing. If a boulder on the bank is two feet out of the water in the summer, and I know that the slot I'm trying to fish is three feet deep at that time, then I can come back during a period of high water and know exactly what the depth of the river is at that particular spot.

Fishing high water requires a high degree of persistence, much more so than prime conditions. Anglers should keep in mind two main things when fishing during these times—keep your presentation down in the strike zone, and have it stay there as long as possible. High water presents a challenge to us all, but if remain persistent and patient, you’ll get bit. Keep your fingers crossed for more spring-like weather, and I’ll see you on the water…

Tight lines,