Q

I noticed an angler a few pegs down from me taking the water temperature on my last session. Is this something worth doing? JUSTIN WILCOX, VIA EMAIL

A

It certainly is, especially if you fish a water regularly as it will allow you build a better picture of the venue and how it fishes when the weather changes. For example, if the temperature has risen since your last session then the fish should feed better and you can adjust your tactics to suit and vice versa. A medical thermometer will be fine although some models made specifically for fishing are available. As a rule, above 10 degrees Celsius will see fish moving a lot in the warm water, while between 7-10 degrees Celsius is just about ideal, with bigger baits likely to work well. Anything below 5 degrees Celsius and you’re likely to struggle! You also need to take into account the type of lake you are fishing – a spring-fed lake will be colder than a streamfed venue, as the water entering will be a lot colder.

A thermometer will help you to decide tactics