Wacky Water Temps

[CrappieRomeo]

Maybe someone here can explain this phenomenon to me. I have been keeping track of the water temperature all month for the Lake of the Ozarks. It maintained about 53 degrees the last few days and its high for water temp all month. Today it says it jumped to 59 degrees according to 2 different websites that keep track. It got down into the 40s last night and high 60s for the day. The crappie eggs I have been seeing are nowhere near ready, at least for another week or two, and they are just now this morning are starting to fan the shallows. Is this just some malfunction of temp read or am I missing something about water temp jumping 6 degrees on a coolish day? Thanks in advance...

[Crestliner08]

The effect of dramatic temperature changes depends a lot on the depth of the water you are talking about. The water temp varies from the surface down. And the deeper you go, the less temp will change by surface fluctuations. It can be 60 degrees at the surface and 45 degrees 12 ft. down. I wouldn't be too concerned about it just yet.

[CrappieRomeo]

Yeah, I am not sure what depth they take it at. Would think within range to benefit fishing, but they may take it at swimming depths for all I know. The next day I was told by another that the lake temps very from different parts of the lake as well, considering some of the cove areas are more shallow. Guess I need to check into where and what depth they take it at the Lake of the Ozarks, all I know is it is a marina.

[CrappiePappy]

Most "water temps" are taken at the surface. Those that are not, they usually state at what depths.

According to this site : http://server.odd.net/waterlevel/ ... your water temps are cooling off again.

... cp

[try'n hard]

Wind

[Kevin22]

Could be warmer water entering the lake.

Our water up north of you a bit is holding at around 50. It gets up to 55 for 2 days then we have a cold snap and it drops back down to 48-49, then rebounds back to 55 on the next few warm days. Really has the fish confused and in a funk!

[try'n hard]

Wind

What I mean is - in a deep lake wind will rotate the cold water from the bottom to the top. Has nothing to do with the outside temp. In fact sometimes on a warm windy day the water will rotate and drop the surface temp as much as 10 degrees