patoka

[shane2480]

I have my last tourny of the year on the 23 and 24 of october at Patoka. I have heard from several people that the lake has started to roll, but i have heard from just as many that it hasnt. Anyone have a recent insight into the status of rollover? Also any ideas of where the bass are? not looking for exact spots just areas of the lake. I need 1-2 fish is those two days for a come from behind rookie of the year trophy. thanks in advance.

[JustinM]

http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_in....html#comments

Most likely done by now is my guess.

[Embrey]

i believe its happening...and i dont have a clue where the bass are. im sure theyre in the water,but theyre sleeping..lol

[OldMcDonald]

The fall bites on at Patoka. Crappie, bass, catfish are all on the bite.
Bass are being caught on several different lures all over the lake. If your fishing a tournament I'd be taking a close look at a good topo map to find key areas that might hold big fish.

[avidbasser]

If this was any more vague, I'de say he was running for Congress.

In the fall, find the schools of shad feeding on the algea/plankton in the coves and you have a good chance of hooking up.

[Moveon]

I just got off the phone with my buddy who fishes Patoka all the time. He lives up at the lake and fishes almost each and every day this summer and this fall.

I asked him what he thought about the lake turning over and he told me that he is still marking fish from 18 ft to 25 ft deep. Right above the THERMOCLINE.

In order for a lake to turn over the Thermocline has to break up and the hypolimnium has to mix with the epilimnion.

If the fish are still suspending at the Thermocline then the lake has not mixed into the bottom layers of the lake, Hypolimnium. So the turn over has not occurred.

The surface waters have to cool to the same temperature as the water below the thermocline before the lake will mix and turn over in the fall.

The only water mixing is above the thermocline in the epilimnion water.

You should be able to go to the Corp of Engineers Web site for Patoka Lake and see Patoka Lakes Temperature Profile down to the bottom of the lake. They should also show the Dissolved Oxygen Profile of the lake at the same web site. I forget the web address or I'd post it here as a link.

But if you look at the profile it will tell you the temperature of the lake and show you where the thermocline is located.

Once the surface water get cooled down enough to sink to the thermocline the surface waves created by the fall winds will start to break up the layers and the mixing will begin.

Note: Different areas of Patoka Lake can start mixing at different times depending on the North Winds and the amount of sunlight each part of the lake receives each day. So the shallower areas may turn over sooner than the deeper parts of the lake. This could be the reason for the confusion.

When the lake turns over the dissolved oxygen of the surface waters will replenish the dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters and the fish will be free to go to the bottom of the deepest parts of the lake once again. There they may stay all winter long or at least they will have access to this part of the lake all winter long. That is until the spring warm up heats the surface waters enough to start the stratification process all over again.

Bottom line is that right now the lake is still stratified and the fish are restricted to the upper layers. IE above 25 to 28 ft approximately. Use your depth finder to mark the fish and see if you can confirm that most fish are still hanging above 28 ft.

Areas of the lake that are less than 28 ft deep can still have fish on the bottom of that part of the lake as there is still mixing and adequate dissolved oxygen at those depths.

In areas where the lake is 50 ft deep the fish will be seen suspended at about 28 ft or there about until the turn over occurs.

The Corp of Engineers stop taking water temperature profiles about this time of the year or after the lake turns over. Because the water temperature profile won't change much during the winter months. Not until the spring thaw occurs. So there is not need to conduct the water temperature profiles during the winter months.