Sunday, June 22, 2008

Our Thermocline....

You are probably wondering "What on earth is a thermocline ?"

Well, we have one in the lake. And most water bodies do. It's best described as that portion of a water column that has the greatest temperature change per unit depth. Think of it as a band of water that sits between the warmer and the colder waters in a lake.

And it has a significance. It is an area that contains a good quantity of food for fish.

So it can be a good place for fishing !

But - the thermocline can be difficult to find.

An obvious method is to take accurate depth measurements with a thermometer on a line and noting the depths of each temperature. And then determine where the greatest temperature change occurs.

An easier method to locate the thermocline is to use an accurate and sensitive fish finder. The fish finder (sonar) will indicate the areas of heavier plankton growth and different water densities. It will show a clearly defined "band" in the water.

While the thermocline distance below the surface of a lake changes over the year, ours is currently located at about 7.5 m (24 ft) and was measured in 22 m (75 ft) of water.

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