Give Trout a Break This Summer

You know who aren’t huge fans of summer? Trout. Summer heat waves impose serious stress and can even cause death. Trout and salmon that are already heat-stressed may not recover after being caught and released.

You can help these fish survive the summer by following a few simple tips:

• Avoid catch-and-release fishing for heat-stressed trout – trout already weakened by heat stress are at risk of death no matter how carefully they are handled.
• Don’t disturb trout where they have gathered in unusually high numbers – it is likely that these fish are recovering from heat stress in a pocket of cold water.
• Go to plan b – consider fishing waters less likely to get too warm or fishing for a more heat-tolerant species, like smallmouth bass.
• Fish early – stream temperature are at their coolest in the early morning.