Low Water Trout Behavior

[Run-n-Gun]

Fished on one of my favorite E. OR trout streams yesterday. Really low water. Might be the lowest I have ever seen over 15 yrs. Caught a bunch of 8-12 inchers in the few spots that could hold fish, but the few big boys, 16-20" I usually find in the mix were non existent. Question? What is the likelihood they could have left the creek down stream to the river where more water exists? I have heard that trout move around more than you would think based on conditions. No one else around so I think nothing had been approached.

 

[Pink Nighty]

I think its absolutely possible they've mostly fled to bigger water. It's also possible that they've got their heads tucked under banks and in tiny hidey holes.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

They 100% move around.

Think about it from the human perspective: it's hot, you feel unsafe, you can't breath that great, your heart rate is elevated and you feel a bit crowded. Are you going to just stay where you are, or would you move to a place that fixes all of those things?

 

[Brian]

What is the liklyhood they could have left the creek down stream to the river where more water exists?

I am not a biologist but...
Like earlier posts mentioned, it depends.
A study of resident trout on a popular local freestone river with very little supporting data returns speculated "some downstream movement to better adult habitat might occur as trout grow". There was no mention of a low water condition.

Fish will search for favorable temperature and dissolved oxygen that are affected by local conditions, e.g., riparian barrier and density (shade), topography-geology (gradient, shade, springs, substrate, isolation...), time of day, weather...

Some studies suggest these local conditions may actually cause fish to move upstream to find favorable conditions.

Life history (fluvial, adfluvial, resident) of those particular fish in that particular stream in relationship to other bodies of water can also be a factor.

Post in thread 'Fluvial, Adfluvial, and Resident In Layman's Terms?'

Sep 19, 2022

What @Stonedfish and @Mossback said. Despite the Latin names, it really is a simple description of the relationship between adult life strategies/behavior and spawning strategy.
Fluvial - Adults live in larger rivers and spawn in smaller tributaries (think Yellowstone Cutthroat trout in Paradise Valley - they live in the Yellowstone but spawn in tribs like Mill Creek, Pine Creek, Big Creek, Gardner River)
Adfluvial (often termed lacustrine) - Adults live in lakes and migrate to spawn in tributaries (think YCT in Yellowstone Lake - they live in the lake but spawn in...

• Mike Cline

• 

Are you going to just stay where you are, or would you move to a place that fixes all of those things?

The Travers fish may just kick everyone else out of the nearest prime lie if it has everything required and eat little guys for trespassing.

 

[Tom Butler]

Yes, this year has been the lowest I remember, but the saving grace was tolerable temperatures. We get all the expressions of lifestyle here, and it requires learning the rhythms, when their present, and where do they go(?). Each stream in my area is different and broad brush strokes don't translate basin to basin. Fish size varies seasonally, but there are structures/places better fish can be found regularly. The key is to fish and learn a piece of water. After 30 years I got a lot figured out and do ok but still got mysteries to solve.

 

[Brian]

The key is to fish and learn a piece of water. I got a lot figured out and do ok but still got mysteries to solve.

I fish a couple of local streams that can change a lot from year to year depending on runoff. Large and coarse woody debris providing prime fish habitat that has been present for years can move, or even disappear into an embankment. New debris can appear. Cobble substrate that creates riffles, and deep holes and troughs can be filled in by packed gravel and sand, making the streambed appear almost featureless. An oxbow can become obstructed by debris that is filled in by sediments leading to it becoming dewatered and bypassed.

The mysteries never stop.

I love small streams.