3 Paths to Mid-Summer Trout

Sizzling summer days have an impact on trout habitat in many Southern streams and can push fish into survival mode. At the same time, many flows run low and streams turn extra clear. That can make for tough fishing. Don't despair or abandon trout fishing for the summer. Just alter when and where you fish. Here are three specific suggestions:

*Head Up Creeks - High-elevation tributaries generally stay much cooler than the streams they feed and are therefore less impacted by mid-summer conditions. Pick national forest streams with plenty of overgrowth to provide constant shade and sufficiently steep beds to form plenty falls and plunge pools. Know going in that stream cover gets seriously thick during mid-summer and that you must be willing to climb and crawl for your reward.

*Hit Tailwaters - Because many tailwaters get their water from deep in the lower ends of reservoirs, they often remain cold even during the summer, with little change in the behavior of the fish. Dissolved oxygen levels become an issue in some tailwaters very late in the summer and into fall, but many produce well during July. The big variable in any tailwater is the level of the water, which impacts both the behavior of the fish and the ways you can access the river and fish effectively.

*Follow Storms - Vigorous afternoon storm, which happen quite a bit during the middle of the summer, often will usher in a couple of hours of good fishing action. Hard rains bring a blast of fresh nutrients, stained water and at times cooler temperatures to trout streams, and the fish tend to feed really well at that time. Just be sure to wait till the thunder and lighting have finished before venturing astream!