A discussion on River Fish Migration

[TJQ]

I've been doing some thinking... On the river I am on we are on a section of river that is about 3 km long between two rapids. the upriver set is fairly short but with lots of current. the downriver set is shallower but much longer 200 m or so.

 

With having rapid's like that, do you think there is much fish migration between sections of the river divided by rapids.

 

in other words, is my section of the river holding "static" fish or is there a new batch present every spring, OR is the answer somewhere in between. or does it depend on the species of fish as well??

[MoriaRiverMan]

Good question...........

 

Im sorta in same situation......

 

They do spawn in my section for sure though.

[JohnF]

in other words, is my section of the river holding "static" fish or is there a new batch present every spring, OR is the answer somewhere in between. or does it depend on the species of fish as well??

 

I fish one river in particular most of the time, and it has lots of shallow rocky sections. Apparently some LM bass escaped Wildwood Dam a while back and made their way down Trout Creek to set up housing below the St.Marys dam. Locals will probably know where I mean. We also know there are pike and catfish below Wildwood in Trout Creek and the pike have made it only down to the east side of the Golf Course as far as I can see. There are lots of them below St.Marys dam but I don't think they're Wildwood escapees. There used to be pike above the dam and upstream on the Thames in the 50's and 60's but they seem to have disappeared. We've seen no sign of any in there in the past couple of years.

 

That suggests to me that LM bass will make an effort to get through shallow areas but not pike. Bear in mind this is hardly based on scientific study, just casual observation. Other St.Marys fishermen may have a different pov.

 

JF

[kickingfrog]

Fish don't "move" because they feel like it, they move for some very basic reasons. Shelter, comfort, food, predators and spawning. If a section of their river, or an area of a lake for that matter, hold all the things a species of fish needs during its life, there is no reason for it to move to another. Some fish need a spawning area that is completely different than the conditions that they live in during the rest of the year (or their life). Think river run-fish like stealhead or pacific salmon. Other fish move because they are following prey fish that are moving because they are following baitfish and the bait fish are moving because the water temps, sunlight or current is moving the plankton. Think Walleye/perch/baitfish/plankton.

 

Here in Canada most places have very distinct seasons, winter and summer with the transitions between. So it is more difficult for a species of fish to find an area that holds all of its lifetime requirements. Farther south the contrast is not as high and so more chance that a fish may not have to move as much during its life.

 

That's part of the story.