Is the Lake water turning over?

[blainefred]

I am asking the question as of Sunday Sept 14....

I am fishing SML next weekend in a small bass club tournament, and I don't know the lake at all.

[greenmonster]

Seems a little early, but just my guess.

[BentRod]

Generally October into November for complete turnover although certain creeks etc do turnover earlier at times.

[mwardncsu]

I've always questioned the "turning over" bit on SML - the temperature readings taken around the lake never show any temperature inversion occurring. It is just a warming / cooling of the water column. I always thought "turned over" meant an inversion of the thermal layer, where warmer water / cooler water "flips". Perhaps this happens further up the river arms or in some of the creeks?

Now I know we get various algae blooms - a lot of times you get that funny bronze color up around the tressles and the flat below Hardy, and of course the thermocline develops then fades (or sinks greatly), but is that a "turn over"?

[hotdog]

I'd think turnover begins as soon as the surface water temps cool below that of the water below it. If cooling temps come and go as opposed to a quick and constant cool down of the surface then the turnover would be less noticeable. If we get a quick cool down of the surface then turnover should be very noticeable. I believe we always have some degree of turnover in the fall and winter.

[CorneliaGale]

You can usually smell it when it happens, I know the upper end you could really tell, towards mid lake I don't notice it as much.

[BentRod]

Sept 15, 2014 14:46:52 GMT -5 mwardncsu said:

I've always questioned the "turning over" bit on SML - the temperature readings taken around the lake never show any temperature inversion occurring. It is just a warming / cooling of the water column. I always thought "turned over" meant an inversion of the thermal layer, where warmer water / cooler water "flips". Perhaps this happens further up the river arms or in some of the creeks?

Now I know we get various algae blooms - a lot of times you get that funny bronze color up around the tressles and the flat below Hardy, and of course the thermocline develops then fades (or sinks greatly), but is that a "turn over"?

Only place I've seen it is the upper end and the creeks. You can smell it and see it (water color) when it happens. The lower lake and deep main channels probably don't ever turn much.