Early Season Stillwater – How Early is too Early to Launch?

Anglers aren’t the only ones that are permitted to sleep in during the early weeks of stillwater season.  Fish are just beginning to wake up and will typically be opportunistic during the warmest part of the day, and in my opinion, there isn’t much of a point getting to the launch before the sun comes up.

The “Crack of Noon”

Even though I make a point to wake up early and get everything prepared for the day, I typically don’t try and get the boat in the water before 9 or even 10 am.  The surface temp will begin to warm slightly during the warmest parts of the day, and peak activity is generally not at first or last light.  Fish will move into the shallows in search of staple food sources and potentially an early chironomid hatch.

Aside from not having to arrive first thing, don’t feel like you need to beat the dead horse if the fishing shuts down a few hours before sunset.  As with all things in fishing, there is no written rule as to when fish will or won’t be feeding, but don’t feel bad for hitting the snooze button in the early weeks of your stillwater season.

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