A warm week in January

[Paul Kalajainen]

Hey all, this is my first winter season fishing around here, so I'm trying to figure out the dynamics of the river in relation to temperature. It's supposed to be 65 degrees this weekend! How does that affect water temperature / fish activity? Will "non-warm water discharge" areas be active or does the river not respond that fast?

I'm thinking about heading to chain bridge, but could be convinced otherwise. Thanks in advance!

Paul

[flytimesDC]

Unless we have a string of 65 degree days and relatively high nighttime lows (mid 40s-50s), don't expect the river to warm up too rapidly. That water will still be cold. However, not a problem as far as catching fish goes. Look for areas with a combination of clean, shallow water and dark bottom in close proximity to deeper water. Sure warm water discharges hold plenty of fish this time of year, but so do a  bunch of other areas. In the winter, actively feeding fish will move shallow on sunny days to feed, especially in areas where the water is warmer i.e. places with mud bottom, rip-rap, or wooden structure. Think Duck Pond more so than Chain Bridge this time of year.  

[Bryan Lanier]

So....Duck pond at low tide?

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[Carl Zmola]

For the effect of air temperature on water temperature, check out the
USGS little Falls gauge and watch it for a while.
The Potomac seems to track average air temperature somewhat quickly
during the summer (I haven't looked much during the winter).

Dramatic changes in temperature shake things up. That can be good or
bad. In general a little warmer will make the fish more active, but I
haven't spent enough time on the water during the winter to figure this out.

The best way to figure this out is to actually keep a fishing diary.
I'm to lazy to do it these days, but it is a good way to absorb what's
going on and is a good reference for the next year.

Carl