Clear-water week: Raystown Lake leads 37 lakes seen clear since Nov 10

Water clarity is the quietest condition on a lake and one of the most important: it decides how far fish can see and how carefully you have to fish. This week 37 of the 72 lakes we could see clearly from above showed clear water, no algae and little mud. Here they are, clearest first, each with the day of the view, because clarity can change with one windy day or one heavy rain.

Clarity is judged from the colour of the water on the latest clear overhead view, so it describes the open water of the lake; a muddy creek arm or a windy bank can look different on the day.

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   Raystown Lake, PA

   Clear water, seen Nov 10 Clear seen Nov 10

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 10). On a clear lake the first and last hour of light and any wind-blown bank are the best bets; flat calm at noon is the hardest water of the week. The water is 52°F and striped bass are active. Watch for birds and surface feeding. Start at a point drop-off; jig and minnow or crankbait along the edge. The lake sits 6.1 ft below its usual level, so fish crowd onto fewer points and short ramps may not reach the water. Thursday rates good for the bite.

   Photo: Gabby Orcutt monroefiles (CC0)

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   Lake Lanier, GA

   Clear water, seen Nov 9 Clear seen Nov 9

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 9). In clear water fish see your bait from far off and see you too: longer casts, lighter line and natural colours (shad, green pumpkin, clear or ghost finishes) earn more bites. The water is 64°F and striped bass are feeding. Start at a wind-blown bank; try swimbait or live shad where bait is. The lake sits 4.5 ft below its usual level, so fish crowd onto fewer points and short ramps may not reach the water. Go Saturday (good bite).

   Photo: Thomson200 (CC0)

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   Bull Shoals Lake, AR

   Clear water, seen Nov 8 Clear seen Nov 8

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 8). Clear water lets light reach deeper, so fish hold a little deeper in the middle of the day and come up at dawn, dusk and under cloud or a ripple. At 61°F, largemouth bass are the bet here. They chase baitfish into creeks and coves. Start at a wind-blown bank in 4 to 16 ft; try tube or ned rig on rock. The lake sits 2.1 ft below its usual level, so fish crowd onto fewer points and short ramps may not reach the water. Friday rates good for the bite.

   Photo: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0

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   Summersville Lake, WV

   Clear water, seen Nov 6 Clear seen Nov 6

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 6). Fish on a clear lake spook at boat noise and shadows, so drift or use the electric motor on the last fifty yards into a spot. Start at a point drop-off; try tube or ned rig on rock. At about 2,700 acres, it is easy to cover in a morning. Go Friday (good bite).

   Photo: Ken Thomas (public domain)

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   Dale Hollow Lake, TN

   Clear water, seen Nov 9 Clear seen Nov 9

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 9). Clear water in the fall often means the lake has settled after turnover; the fish are feeding again and the bait is easy to spot. At 61°F, smallmouth bass are the bet here. Rocky points, humps and drop-offs. Start at a point drop-off; try tube or ned rig on rock. It is a big piece of water: about 27,700 acres at full pool. Thursday rates good for the bite.

   Photo: Dalehollow, CC BY-SA 3.0

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   Lake Ouachita, AR

   Clear water, seen Nov 8 Clear seen Nov 8

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 8). If you snorkel, swim or paddle, this is the week for it; clear water also shows you the stumps and rocks before your hull finds them. The water is 63°F and striped bass are in range. Start at a wind-blown bank in 4 to 16 ft; try swimbait or live shad where bait is. It is a big piece of water: about 40,000 acres at full pool. Go Thursday (good bite).

   Photo: Unherdable, CC BY-SA 3.0

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   Sebago Lake, ME

   Clear water, seen Nov 9 Clear seen Nov 9

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 9). Clear water is also the easiest to read from the boat: look for bait flickers, shadows on the bottom and the colour change where a point drops away. The water is 53°F and trout are in range. Near the surface and along shorelines. Start at an upper arm; try spinner or spoon, troll slowly. Plan to cover water: the lake spreads over about 30,500 acres at full pool. Go Thursday (good bite).

   Photo: HarryOTwo at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

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   Bear Lake, UT

   Clear water, seen Nov 10 Clear seen Nov 10

   Clear water on the latest view (Nov 10). Finesse rigs, small swimbaits and jerkbaits with long pauses suit clear water; save the loud, bright baits for a murkier lake. At 48°F, trout are the bet here. An upper arm in 90 to 94 ft is the place to begin; try spinner or spoon, troll slowly. The lake sits 4.5 ft below its usual level, so fish crowd onto fewer points and short ramps may not reach the water. Go Thursday (good bite).

   Photo: kla4067, CC BY 2.0

Water temperature on the list

Surface temperature on the latest clear reading for each lake, warmest first.

Murky or green this week

Murky water is not bad fishing water: fish hold shallower and closer to cover, and loud, bright, slow baits (a chartreuse spinnerbait, a rattling crankbait, a big dark jig) draw them in. Likely algae is a different matter: look at the water before a swim, rinse off after, and keep dogs out of green or scummy patches.

• Lake Okeechobee: some algae possible, seen Nov 10
• Lake of the Ozarks: slightly murky, seen Nov 8
• Lake Tahoe: slightly murky, seen Nov 9
• Clear Lake: algae likely, seen Nov 7
• Lake Oroville: algae likely, seen Nov 4
• Lake Texoma: slightly murky, seen Nov 6

Fishing clear water

Fish in clear water feed by sight from a long way off, which cuts both ways: they find a natural-looking bait easily and they spot a boat, a shadow or a heavy line just as easily. Long casts, light line, natural colours and a slower, quieter approach are the rule.

Light goes deeper in clear water, so the midday bite moves down to the first drop-off and the shade of docks and cover, while dawn, dusk, cloud and a ripple bring fish up shallow. Plan the day around those windows.

Before you go

A view a few days old is a good guide, not a promise: one storm can muddy a creek arm and one calm week can clear a murky lake. Check the lake page the morning you go for the newest view, the water temperature and the bite windows.

Lake by lake

• Raystown Lake52°FClear water, 52°F water, level falling, 6 ft below normal, calm Friday morning.
• Lake Lanier64°FClear water, 64°F water, level falling, 4 ft below normal, calm Friday morning.
• Bull Shoals Lake61°FClear water, 61°F water, level falling, 2 ft below normal, windy Wednesday (15 mph WNW).
• Summersville LakeClear water, calm Saturday afternoon.
• Dale Hollow Lake61°FClear water, 61°F water, level falling, near normal, calm tomorrow morning.
• Lake Ouachita63°FClear water, 63°F water, level steady, near normal, windy Wednesday (15 mph WNW).
• Sebago Lake53°FClear water, 53°F water, level rising, near normal, calm tomorrow morning.
• Bear Lake48°FClear water, 48°F water, level steady, 5 ft below normal, calm this afternoon.