Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Which water will warm up first?

Would an above ground water impoundment, like a reservoir, warm up quicker than an in ground body of water...like a same sized lake/pond?

Last year, I started fishing in farm ponds, as that's where I was catching fish. It seemed as though the reservoirs were taking longer for the fish to become as active as they were in simular sized ponds/lakes. Kiser Lake is another example of the fish hitting earlier than the local reservoirs...of the same size.

What's your thoughts, experiences and opinions?

Thank you, Bowhunter57
 
cotty16,
Natural reservoirs have run-off...like Pleasant Hill or Clear Fork, but I was refering to an above ground or man-made reservoir.

Run-off would definately have an effect on the water temperature, but I'm not sure which way that would go. I've been kayaking on a river and would get out of the kayak to walk toward the shore, walked into a stream of water coming off of a field that was definately colder than the river water temp. That one incident isn't conclusive of all types of run-off, so I'm not sure how that would effect the water temps.

Bowhunter57
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I think it's going to depend on ground temps and the amount of snowfall (if any) that we get. If the ground is warm and you get a warm rain, then I'd say the natural lakes will warm up a bit quicker. However, if that runoff is coming from a big thaw, that's not going to help much. Turbidity also plays a role. Turbid water has a tendency to warm faster than crystal clear water... and usually your above ground reservoirs are gin clear.

My overall opinion is this... Don't worry about which one warms faster than the other... Instead, worry about which SPOT in a given water body warms the fastest. The fish will stack up in the warmest water, no matter where you go. You can catch fish in ANY of the lakes, as long as you know where to focus your efforts. I like to target north shorelines first... Since our sun is in the southern hemisphere, water temp usually warms fastest along the north side of a lake. I also like to target mud lines that form just after a warm rain... The muddy water will usually be warmer than the water body it's entering.
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
most above ground man made reservoirs have rip rap around them, (big rocks) They will warm pretty quickly on sunny days. The main part of the lake might stay cool longer though. Also if there is a pump house that pumps water into the lake it is usually warmer than the existing water.