I've been riding my bike after work and watching the water levels regarding the Olentangy River. The water levels have dropped enough but the water is very muddy. So I'm asking myself what to fish with this weekend and of course various presentations will be tried. My thoughts are either a lot of flash or a rattling crankbait. Plastics would work well with a lot of casting and placing the baits very near the smallmouth. Anyone have any ideas?
The river is almost back down to normal levels even up in Delaware. The water is a tad off color still but the fishing should pick up big time over the weekend for any waders.
Ye i noticed that the river was lookin' fishable driving back to my parents from class on thursday. Thinking about trying to get out tomorrow as long as the virus i've had isn't still killing me still, 103.5 degree fever is no fun. Have not gotten the best look at the river but ye def. looking muddy. If i make it out tomorrow will be throwing bright colors, things with rattles, buzzbaits and spinner, and some top water (thinkin' poppers to make a good disturbance). Hopefully the clarity will return soon but I think this summer is gonna be tough on the rivers.
This year couldn't be any worse than last considering it rained almost everyday in June. There was actually hope for a very mild drought to keep the water down and clear. I'm heading out to the river about ten or eleven this morning.
You're correct! When it rains the sewer water is kept in tanks which is released into the Olentangy River. So if it doesn't rain a lot then water levels typically do not rise.
ok i was looking at the graphs the was posted and im just making sure im reading them right.. it says that the Olentangy is only 2 feet deep in 2 different locations.. is this correct ?
Yep. Compare those two graphs when we get a big round of rain. They'll shut the dam to almost nothing, but the Wilson Bridge gauge will still go nuts because of all the development along the 23 corridor, with its hard surfaces.
According to the Corps, the Delaware dam is the last point of flood control in the Scioto watershed. They can close Oshay but it overtops, and none of the lowheads matter in high water. They can use the reservoir capacity at Delaware to keep water out of the Scioto (and reduce flooding in the Olentangy valley, like at Northmoor) but only to a point.
Watch those graphs after a heavy rain. As soon as Wilson Bridge starts to go down, they'll crank the dam open to make room in the reservoir before whatever next rain comes. The surge from the dam takes a few hours to make it to Wilson Bridge. Then the river stays high for days at some level that does not change at all until they change the dam settings again.
You're correct! When it rains the sewer water is kept in tanks which is released into the Olentangy River. So if it doesn't rain a lot then water levels typically do not rise.
So you're saying that stormsewers only release water into the 'tangy of it has rained "a lot" and none if it has rained a little?? Who toldja that?!
The smallmouth were a little slow today and two fish were caught while two fish were lost. Of course, the smallmouth just adored the orange and yellow Mann's Minus One. A VERY BIG BASS was missed considering it struck when a retrieve was almost finished. All that I saw represented the tail of that thing. A location that I fished last year and produced nothing was actually productive today.
First of all, Yes. Indeed the water levels do rise when it rains.
Regarding the below, you gotta shake that line of thinking. A good rain and rising water levels might be the best time to fish. Low and clear water means lots of dinks. About 2X or 3X the "normal summer level" makes big fish MUCH easier to catch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjpatrick
This year couldn't be any worse than last considering it rained almost everyday in June. There was actually hope for a very mild drought to keep the water down and clear. I'm heading out to the river about ten or eleven this morning.
When I was measuring streams for conductivity in 2010, I noticed that the readings were highest (meaning most stuff dissolved in the water) when the water was low and clear. High turbid water would always give lower readings.
Mill Creek and the main stem of the Scioto at Bellepoint would spike high, probably due to the animal feed operations up in those watersheds. Hayden Run would also spike; I'm guessing that's lawn chemicals.
Olentangy River: Water Levels Dropped!
Olentangy River: Water Levels Dropped!
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