Lake temp.

[FISHBANDIT]

Does the lake seem to be warming up quicker, and staying warmer longer. The past 2 or 3 summers the lake seemed to warm up and stay warm longer. I think this might be why the fishing has been getting tougher. I know this caused the direct dumping of fish into sandy creek because it warmed up to quick this spring. Instead of being put in pens. Just thought I would throw this thought out there and see what you guys thought.

[LongLine]

IMO, no doubt the cleaner water due to the mussels has contributed to this. The lake is fairly shallow out quite a ways on the S. shore. Direct sunlight can penetrate the water and warm the darker bottom further out than ever before. (at least in our lifetimes) If you look at the NOAA lake transects, you'll see there is very little under 40F water in Big-O right now.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Gill-T]

Yep, I have been watching for the last three years that 40 degree bubble of deep water strata disappear. Two years of drought and record temps in the previous two summers are to blame. The bad news is we will be fishing deeper. The good news is the algae bloom from the warmer temps and all the run-off from the rain we have been getting will feed the baitfish big time (check out Modis Lake Ontario images of lake-wide algae bloom). Even the blue zone is green. My non-scientific prediction for the next two years will be fewer fish, but BIGGER.