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Hope the trout are doing fine... last couple days it's gotten into the 90s... yesterday was 98.. today is supposed to be 103F... This weather we are having this year is insane.. less than a month ago I wondered if it was even gonna get above 60F.. and now this...
Just a reminder to anyone in the DA.. stay away from the streams.. pulling a trout out of the water in these temps means almost certain death to the fish
I only fish the Driftless a few days a year. Most of the time I'm a few hours north. I wouldn't sop fishing the Driftless Area because the air temperatures put the fish at risk.
I carry a stream thermometer. The Driftless spring creeks will have cool water regardless of the air temperature. I'll stop fishing if the water temps reach 70 degrees. This is more of a problem, much more critical, in the freestone streams to the north. Many of those trout streams exceed 70 degrees for a part of every summer.
Unless I'm going to keep a fish or two for supper, I'll release them without taking them from the water, the small ones cradled in my hand, the bigger ones in my net. The air temperature doesn't have a chance to hurt the fish.
I will stop fishing because the high temperatures and stifling humidity put my own health at risk. I am an aging heart disease victim after all. The hot weather has kept me off the stream the last few days. By Wednesday or Thursday the high will be in the 70's, and I'll be ready to go fishing again.