Is there a general depth with certain water temps?

[Hoosier]

Do fish have a general depth they will be at with certain water or air temps. when i take my boat out for the weekend im out generally all day. So if its 90 degrees and the water temp is at 82 is there a general area ex. 10-12 feet that the fish will be at for that general temp range or is it more trial and error.

[Dogmatic]

I believe fish will go where the conditions are best suited, rather, where the temp, oxygen levels, and forage are at the optimal levels. I was always told to find, and follow the thermocline. So I guess my answer to your question is, No, there is no "general" depth where fish will hold at any given temp, but it's not a matter of trial and error.

[MIbasser]

No. Some move shallow (cover under docks w/shade) some move deep, some stay in the weeds that might be in 5' of water. Or if you have a 30-40' hole in the lake they move there or stage around it. Understand the lake and the cover and you should find the fish.

[IowaBasser]

Originally Posted by Hoosier

Do fish have a general depth they will be at with certain water or air temps?

The short answer is: No, fish do not have a general depth they will be at based on water or air temperature. There are waaaaay too many variables to make a generalization like that. A better question might be to ask what factors affect the depth bass may be at. I'll start a list and people can add to it:

Water Temperature
Air Temperature
Time of year (Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter)
Time of day
Migrational movements (pre-spawn, spawn, wintering holes, etc.)
Weather conditions (stable weather vs cold fronts)
Sun (Sunny vs Cloudy)
Wind
Rising or falling water (river systems or reservoirs)
Current (river systems or reservoirs)
Water Clarity
Available cover - weeds, etc.
Available forage (baitfish)
Water oxygen levels
Thermo clines in the summer
Fall turnover (Northern Lakes)
Relative lake depth (a 10' deep farm pond vs a 100' deep reservoir)

You only need to understand a little bit about each of these factors. From there it's a puzzle. You have to determine which of these factors are going to be the most important. Sometimes it may be a single factor like a cold front moving through. Other times a combination of factors will dictate what depth bass may be at. Water and air temperature are only pieces to a much larger puzzle.

[merc1997]

Originally Posted by Hoosier

Do fish have a general depth they will be at with certain water or air temps. when i take my boat out for the weekend im out generally all day. So if its 90 degrees and the water temp is at 82 is there a general area ex. 10-12 feet that the fish will be at for that general temp range or is it more trial and error.

if you are in a body of water that stratifies, most fish will relate to the thermocline. just how deep the thermocline is depends a lot on water clarity, and also in impoundment, how much water they are letting into or drawing out of the lake. most current electronics, when the sensitivity is turned up will pick up the thermocline. you can also determine it with a temp probe.

bo