How to Choose the Best Time to Fish

Fishing at the right time is crucial to the success of your fishing trip. Whether you have the best fishing spot or the right gear, you may not get any fish if you go fishing at the wrong time. There are several factors for you to consider before deciding whether or not to go fishing.

Table of Contents

Taking into account the time factor

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Consider the time of day. Fish are cold-blooded, so their activity depends on the surrounding water temperature. ^{[1] X Research Source} They are less active when it’s cold, and if it’s very hot, they’ll dive into deeper water to cool. Because fish eat insects and/or other small insectivorous fish, they are most active when they see their prey moving. Hot air and dense mosquitos are very suitable for fishing.

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Consider the seasons of the year. Like all species, fish spawn at certain times of the year. This also depends on where you live and the type of fish you want to fish, but here are some general guidelines to keep in mind: ^{[2] X Research Sources}

Spring – Fish do not feed often during this season. You’ll have better luck at the end of the season, and at the end of the day when things get warmer. Fish do not eat much in the spring morning because insects are not present at that time, so it is best to wait for their feeding time at dusk. At this time of year, the wind often pushes warmer surface water, containing food closer to the shore, so choose a fishing position so that it is downwind along the shore. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
Summer – This is the right season for fishing if you avoid the hottest part of the day out. Fish will go foraging a lot right before dawn and after dusk when food is abundant. Mid-day when the sun is at its peak, the fish will dive into deeper and cooler water. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
Fall – This is a difficult time to define, but if the fishing goes well the results will be really good. Fish do not feed much in the morning and early afternoon. However, at the end of the day, the water warms up thanks to the sun shining for many hours, the fish will eat more bait because of the risk of food shortage when winter is coming. So the time of dusk is a great time to fish. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Winter – Obviously this is not the right season to go fishing. Unless you’re ice fishing, which is an entirely different matter, you should put your rod away this season.

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Consider the tide factor. It is best to fish at high or low tide because changes in water levels will move large amounts of bait for fish near the shore. Fishing at high or low tide is more difficult because there is less movement of the water. ^{[6] X Research Sources}^{[7] X Research Sources}

To find high and low tide times in your area, google “tide tables” and the name of the city where you live.
Choose a shallow spot if you’re fishing during high water.
If you fish during low water, choose a muddy spot near the bog (lowland at the bottom).

Taking into account the weather factor

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Notice the variation between hot and cold air waves. Fish are cold-blooded, so water temperature has a big effect on them. This means that their behavior can change dramatically before and after the weather turns hot and cold. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Fish feed more hours before the cold front and less after that. Therefore, fishing after the weather turns cold will hardly have good results.
The hot air waves warm the surface of the water and increase the amount of bait for the fish. This change is most noticeable in cold weather when fish do not go foraging much, and in summer, this phenomenon is not very obvious because the temperature is already high.

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Notice the winds. The wind pushes the surface water away from the shore with small bait fish to attract fish from the trout family. So windy day is a favorable time for fishing. ^{[9] X Research Source}^{[10] X Research Source}

If you fish close to shore on a windy day, rely on wind direction. This will help you follow the food flow and make it easier to attract fish.
If fishing on a boat, choose the direction near the shore along with the wind direction.

Taking into account other factors

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Pay attention to the insects. Fish foraging activity is directly dependent on insect activity. Smaller fish eat insects and larger fish eat smaller fish. So lots of flies are ideal fishing conditions but you have to remember to apply plenty of insect repellent. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Make friends with the moon. The tides rise and fall according to the gravitational pull of the moon, and that’s important when fishing. You can easily track the tides with a simple observation, but it would be better to keep a close eye on the movement of the moon. Full moons and times when the moon is close to the earth are particularly good conditions for fishing. ^{[14] X Research Resources} There are many websites that design lunar calendars to help you find the best fishing times. ^{[15] X Research Source}^{[16] X Research Source}^{[17] X Research Source}

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Understand the behavior of fish. Different fish species are adapted to different water temperatures, times of day and food. If you’re fishing for a particular species of fish, learn about them. If you want to fish for catfish, you can’t help but look to the shallows.

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Go fishing when you have time. Knowing when fish appear is good but the truth is that most of us go fishing simply when we have time. You can enjoy the afternoon fishing with some beer and friends even if you can’t catch any fish. Don’t be so rigid when trying to find the best time for fishing that you forget to have a good time together.

Steps

Taking into account the time factor

Taking into account the weather factor

Taking into account other factors

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