Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

Fly Fishing BS => The Gravel Bar => Topic started by: Onslow on June 14, 2022, 17:14:06 PM

Title: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on June 14, 2022, 17:14:06 PM
High temps for the week ending 6/18

Chattooga @ Burrells Ford > 74 degrees . Probably the lower end of trout range.

Cattaloochee @ gage > 67 degrees.  Supports some transient specs.

Mills River 1.5 miles below the forks > 71.5 degrees

Smith @ Martinsville VA >70.3

Little Stony Creek about 5 miles up from Pembroke.  70.2 degrees

Yadkin River @  Patterson NC > 78.2 degrees. This is about 5 miles downstream of reasonable range.

Knapp Creek @ Marlinton WV> 75 degrees

Elk River @ Webster Springs WV >  71 degrees

Bushkill @ Shoemakers PA (spring fed) > 71.5 degrees

Beaverkill at Bush Falls  NY> 69.5 degrees.  Side note, this gage hit the 87 degree mark in August of 2005.  That year was miserable all over in terms of heat and low water.

Middle Fork Tygart @ Adolph WV.  This is a smaller watershed, and the coldest.  64.5.  drains about 20 square miles.  2296 altitude which isn't very high.  Kumbrabow is up the hill, and the whole area seems to have some serious speck potential.

Shavers Fork @ Cheat Bridge WV.  69 degrees.  This is one of the highest watersheds of its size class in Appalachia.

Blackwater @ Davis.  78 degrees WV.  This is a shocker.  This area is one of the coolest and wettest areas of WV.  Perhaps there is some UHI and low canopy issues playing a role here. The location of the gage is in town just above the gorge.  Canaan valley is brookie country.  Water probably cools off in the gorge.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on June 17, 2022, 17:15:52 PM
Updated, bump.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on June 25, 2022, 07:05:26 AM
Update for week ending 6/25.


Still hot in WV. It appears streams in WV are very canopy sensitive. It is interesting Shavers Fork is running warmer than a stream of comparable size in Georgia.  Shavers is at 3500' and Chattooga at Burrells ford is at 2050.  The looch isn't much smaller than Shavers Fork either. It is odd to see WV's crown jewel run warmer than the lower Smith.

Another oddity... Years ago, rainbow trout were stocked in the Bluestone as a part of a university research project.  They did not die due to the heat.  There is currently an active trout fishery at Pipestem.  water temps topped out there this week at 82.  At one time this was DH, but according to the WV stocking status, no fish are being stocked there.

Chattooga @ Burrells Ford > 73 degrees . Probably the lower end of trout range.

Cattaloochee @ gage > 66.2 degrees.  Supports some transient specs.

Mills River 1.5 miles below the forks > 72.5 degrees

Smith @ Martinsville VA > 68 degrees

Little Stony Creek about 5 miles up from Pembroke.  67.2 degrees

Yadkin River @  Patterson NC > 77.3 degrees. This is about 5 miles downstream of reasonable range.

Knapp Creek @ Marlinton WV> 75 degrees

Elk River @ Webster Springs WV >  74 degrees

Bushkill @ Shoemakers PA (spring fed) > 66.3 degrees

Beaverkill at Bush Falls  NY> 66.2degrees.  Side note, this gage hit the 87 degree mark in August of 2005.  That year was miserable all over in terms of heat and low water.

Middle Fork Tygart @ Adolph WV. 65 degrees. This is a smaller watershed, and the coldest. Drains about 20 square miles.  2296 altitude which isn't very high.  Kumbrabow is up the hill, and the whole area seems to have some serious speck potential.

Shavers Fork @ Cheat Bridge WV.  74 degrees.  This is one of the highest watersheds of its size class in Appalachia.

Blackwater @ Davis.  79 degrees WV. 
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Dougfish on June 25, 2022, 07:24:21 AM
Shavers Fork is wide open to the sun.
For 15+ miles off that mountain.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on June 25, 2022, 09:35:20 AM
Quote from: Dougfish on June 25, 2022, 07:24:21 AMShavers Fork is wide open to the sun.
For 15+ miles off that mountain.


I've only fished Shaver's Fork once, many moons ago in June.  Camped 2 nights and only fished one day if I correctly remember.  It is a beautiful area (birds, altitude, etc.), but the fishing that year at that time was dismal. Fished beautiful water without seeing a fish, until discovering a trib entering from the east.  Downstream of the confluence were trout stacked, facing the incoming cooler water. 

The only other stream where I've seen trout congregating below a cooler trib was on the Beaverkill in NY.  Coming back from an insect meeting in Maine, I decided to stop near Roscoe for a day or 2 of fishing.  It was midsummer but I had no idea that the Bkill warmed that much.  Traveling downstream from Roscoe I saw no anglers.  A mystery until I got down to Horton Run (Creek).  Below Horton there were hundreds of trout crammed into the obviously cooler flow from the trib; it was black with trout, similar to what one would see in the raceways of a hatchery.  You don't fish under these conditions.  I went way upstream on the Willowemoc and found a young kid fishing in much cooler water.   
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on June 25, 2022, 10:12:21 AM
I've seen the trib congregating on the portion of the Linville located on the BRP property.  Like Shavers, the Linville is a high altitude watershed that is very narrow, with scant tribs.  I'm of the opinion any large stream with poor quality or very small tributaries are highly susceptible to collapse, and at best are poor fisheries. Like Shavers, the Linville is also a very warm watershed, partly due to development and canopy removal.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Phil on June 25, 2022, 10:29:34 AM
Yep, The Linville River has gotten progressively worse in the last 30 years and now sucks a huge root.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on July 04, 2022, 10:35:54 AM
Update ending week of July 2.  Not much change, except for rebound in warmth up north.  Smith at Martinsville is still cooler than the upper Shavers Fork, lol.

If Anthony and Howard Creek are as warm as Knapp, then the lower reaches of these streams are not really bona fide trout streams. The Greenbrier in Durbin runs cooler, as well as the Gauley in Craigsville. 

I'm amazed how cool the Cataloochee stays being the drainage size is almost 50 square miles.  2457' altitude compared to around 2100 at the Chattooga site. The Chattooga drainage size is about the same as the looch, but the Chattooga has twice the rate of flow due to being one of the wettest watersheds east of the Mississippi.


Chattooga @ Burrells Ford > 72.3 degrees . Probably the lower end of trout range.

Cattaloochee @ gage > 65.5 degrees.  Supports some transient specs.

Mills River 1.5 miles below the forks > 72 degrees

Smith @ Martinsville VA > 69.2 degrees

Little Stony Creek about 5 miles up from Pembroke.  69.5 degrees

Yadkin River @  Patterson NC > 78.3 degrees. This is about 5 miles downstream of reasonable range.

Knapp Creek @ Marlinton WV> 78 degrees

Elk River @ Webster Springs WV >  73.5 degrees

Bushkill @ Shoemakers PA (spring fed) > 75 degrees

Beaverkill at Bush Falls  NY> 74.5 degrees.  Side note, this gage hit the 87 degree mark in August of 2005.  That year was miserable all over in terms of heat and low water.

Middle Fork Tygart @ Adolph WV. 65 degrees. This is a smaller watershed, and the coldest. Drains about 20 square miles.  2296 altitude which isn't very high.  Kumbrabow is up the hill, and the whole area seems to have some serious speck potential.

Shavers Fork @ Cheat Bridge WV.  72 degrees.  This is one of the highest watersheds of its size class in Appalachia.

Blackwater @ Davis.  79 degrees WV.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 06, 2022, 17:04:28 PM
70069500-3BF2-4FA5-A9FB-B99BC093203F.jpg
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Dougfish on July 06, 2022, 17:28:44 PM
Smith River at Philpott, 49 degrees.  V:;
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Phil on July 06, 2022, 18:38:11 PM
Woolly -- from those water temps in the Damascus area, seems to me like nobody should be trout fishing there no matter what time of day....  :o
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on July 08, 2022, 18:34:50 PM
Max temps of week ending July 8.  Doubt anything will be higher tomorrow.

Not many changes except the lower Smith is seeing brief spikes due to warm water runoff.  The Chattooga has jumped a lot, and the looch has inched up some.

Added the Pigeon River at Canton. This gage is located just above the paper mill, and the river seems to have decent riparian canopy even though the land in the valley is developed.  Temps look cool enough to sustain browns.


Chattooga @ Burrells Ford > 77 degrees . Probably the lower end of trout range.

Pigeon River @ Canton gage > 74.7

Cattaloochee @ gage > 67.5 degrees.  Supports some transient specs.

Mills River 1.5 miles below the forks > 71.5 degrees

Smith @ Martinsville VA > 69.2 degrees for the most part.  Very brief burst up to 75

Little Stony Creek about 5 miles up from Pembroke.  71.3 degrees

Yadkin River @  Patterson NC > 78.7 degrees. This is about 5 miles downstream of reasonable range.

Knapp Creek @ Marlinton WV> 79 degrees

Elk River @ Webster Springs WV >  73.5 degrees

Bushkill @ Shoemakers PA (spring fed) > 75 degrees

Beaverkill at Bush Falls  NY> 76 degrees. 

Middle Fork Tygart @ Adolph WV. 67 degrees. This is a smaller watershed, and the coldest. Drains about 20 square miles.  2296 altitude which isn't very high.  Kumbrabow is up the hill, and the whole area seems to have some serious speck potential.

Shavers Fork @ Cheat Bridge WV.  71.5 degrees.  This is one of the highest watersheds of its size class in Appalachia.

Blackwater @ Davis.  78.5 degrees WV.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Phil on July 08, 2022, 18:39:02 PM
Thanks for putting these up, Ken. Very informative.  'c;
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on July 17, 2022, 06:05:26 AM
Max temps of week ending July 16. 

Elk and Shavers saw significant increases while Dixieland backed off. Shavers is running warmer than the Pigeon @ Canton NC :laugh: 

Chattooga @ Burrells Ford > 73.5 degrees . Probably the lower end of trout range.

Pigeon River @ Canton gage > 74.4

Cattaloochee @ gage > 67.5 degrees.  Supports some transient specs.

Mills River 1.5 miles below the forks > 71.3 degrees

Smith @ Martinsville VA > 69.8

Little Stony Creek about 5 miles up from Pembroke.  68.8 degrees

Yadkin River @  Patterson NC > 77.7 degrees. This is about 5 miles downstream of reasonable range.

Knapp Creek @ Marlinton WV> 77 degrees

Elk River @ Webster Springs WV >  77.3 degrees

Bushkill @ Shoemakers PA (spring fed) > 76 degrees

Beaverkill at Bush Falls  NY> 77 degrees.

Middle Fork Tygart @ Adolph WV. 69 degrees.  Drains about 20 square miles.  2296 altitude which isn't very high. 

Shavers Fork @ Cheat Bridge WV.  75.2 degrees.  This is probably highest altitude watersheds of its size class in Appalachia.  3537' at the gage site

Blackwater @ Davis.  78.1 degrees WV.  Altitude, 3059'
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Stone-Man on July 17, 2022, 15:45:23 PM
Thx Ken for putting this up.
And a side note    A section of Stoney Creek here in E Tenn.  has gone underground. And the water on either side of the underground area is very skinny. Will not fish Stoney unless it is at the lower end where there are some deep  holes.

  JT
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on July 24, 2022, 06:58:37 AM
Max water temps for week ending July 23

Chattooga @ Burrells Ford - 78

Cattaloochee - 68.3

Pigeon at Canton - 75.3

Yadkin at Patterson - 79

Mills River below confluence - 74

Shavers Fork at Cheat Bridge- 78

Elk River at Webster Springs - 81

Knapp Creek - 81

Blackwater at Davis - 81

Middle Fork Tygart upper- 72.3

Little Stony at Pembroke - 72

Smith at Martinsville - 75
This was due to a low water blip. Mostly upper 60s.

Beaverkill at Cooks Falls NY- 83

Bush Kill at Shoemakers PA - 80.5

Drove through the hills yesterday via. 64.  HW temps reached 99 between Morganton and Marion. 93 Brevard, 79 between Cashiers and Highlands, and the cool spot was the ridge the Natahala and Hiwassee watershed (77).

T storms are keeping the looch cool.  T storms are rainfall are why Dixie has nice things.


Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on August 13, 2022, 10:15:18 AM
Max water temps for week ending Aug 6.

Chattooga @ Burrells Ford - 76.3

Cattaloochee - 67.7

Pigeon at Canton -75.2

Yadkin at Patterson - 79

Mills River below confluence - 73

Shavers Fork at Cheat Bridge- 73

Elk River at Webster Springs - 79

Knapp Creek @ gage - 78.5

Blackwater at Davis - 80

Middle Fork Tygart upper- 69.1

Little Stony at Pembroke - 71.5

Smith at Martinsville - 72.2

Beaverkill at Cooks Falls NY- 82

Bush Kill at Shoemakers PA - 79

Been busy and out of town.  Will be filling in the gaps later.


Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on August 21, 2022, 06:53:42 AM
Max water temps for the week ending 8/13

Chattooga @ Burrells Ford -75

Cattaloochee - 66.8

Pigeon at Canton - 74

Yadkin at Patterson - 78.5

Mills River below confluence - 71.8

Shavers Fork at Cheat Bridge- 73.5

Elk River at Webster Springs - 73.5

Knapp Creek @ gage - 77

Blackwater at Davis - 79

Middle Fork Tygart upper- 71.3

Little Stony at Pembroke - 71

Smith at Martinsville - 72.2

Beaverkill at Cooks Falls NY- 82

Bush Kill at Shoemakers PA - 82
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on August 21, 2022, 07:01:17 AM
Max water temps for week ending 8/20.  Fall is coming!  Dogwoods are already turning in Patrick County VA.

Chattooga @ Burrells Ford - 73.5

Cattaloochee - 65.5

Pigeon at Canton - 72.3

Yadkin at Patterson - 73.3

Mills River below confluence - 69.7

Shavers Fork at Cheat Bridge- 71.5

Elk River at Webster Springs - 72.3

Knapp Creek @ gage - 74.3

Blackwater at Davis - 71.7

Middle Fork Tygart upper- 64.3

Little Stony at Pembroke - 65.5

Smith at Martinsville - 67.5

Beaverkill at Cooks Falls NY- 78

Bush Kill at Shoemakers PA - 76.5

What has been learned?

- The Pigeon above the mill is clearly viable trout water.

- Lower Smith did well this year

- Due to low Summer flows, WV streams are very vulnerable.

- There is nothing to complain about in the south in terms of water temps.
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on August 28, 2022, 06:49:48 AM
Max temps for week ending 8/27.

Removed Knapp creek in favor of the Cranberry at Richwood.  The Cranberry is at 2130' with a drainage size of 80 square miles. It seems this stream looks better on paper than most in WV terms of water temps. Most of the streams in the upper Cheat, Tygart, and Gauley watersheds are juicy, but tend to be seasonably extreme, high in the wet season, then drop like a rock in the Summer.




Chattooga @ Burrells Ford - 73.7

Cattaloochee - 66.4

Pigeon at Canton - 72.5

Yadkin at Patterson - 75.8

Mills River below confluence - 71

Shavers Fork at Cheat Bridge- 75.2

Elk River at Webster Springs - 77

Blackwater at Davis - 76

Cranberry @ Richwood - 72

Middle Fork Tygart upper- 66.2

Little Stony at Pembroke - 67.5

Smith at Martinsville - 70

Beaverkill at Cooks Falls NY- 78.7

Bush Kill at Shoemakers PA - 76.3
Title: Re: Water Temp Watch
Post by: Onslow on July 03, 2023, 07:07:02 AM
By mid June of 2022, the heat was on.  So far, things are much better this year.

Data for the Chattooga @ Burrell's Ford is no longer available.

We learned that PA, WV, NY streams do not have the benefit of Gulf moisture, are dry and hot during the Summer.

It was also discovered the Pigeon is a remarkably cool watershed.  I'm of the opinion this river can support trout down to Canton, and possibly beyond since the papermill is no longer in operation.

Max temps ending week July 2

Looch > 64.5

Davidson > 72.5

West Fork Pigeon just above Logan > 68.2

Pigeon @ Canton > 73

Yadkin River @ Patterson > 76

Smith @ Martinsville > 63

Shavers Fork @ Cheat Bridge > 72

Little Stoney above Pembroke > 64.8

Middle Fork Tygart @ Adolf> 65