Green Water Strategies

By Chris Erwin

Are you wondering what green water strategies are all about?

I know. The first time I heard about green water, I thought someone was talking about some clear lake or something.

In fact, the term is an old tournament reference that describes a way to approach a flood or a muddy influx of rain.

I wanted to cover this subject because this is the time of the year when we usually see spring rains that can change a body of water very quickly. One day the water is clear and where you expected it to be, and the next day the sky drops two or three inches of rain leaving your favorite fishing hole high and muddy.

When this happens, you have a few choices. You can fish the mud by going to bait that usually works in dirty water, or you can see if the green water strategy is going to work in your favor.

When you’re fishing a body of water with a dam that is controlling the influx of water a few things can happen. The dam will either be closed and the lake will start to rise, or the dam will be open enough to let the water pass through it.

When the dam is holding water, trash will collect in depressions or float down the edges of the bank. When the dam is open, that trash will get pulled into the middle where the current will take it toward the dam.

This is important to notice, because it lets you know what is going on at the dam. Along with what stage the lake is in.

When the lake is holding water, green water will usually be somewhere on the lake. Let me explain. The influx of water will muddy up creek fed coves, along with whatever happens to be the main source of water coming into the lake.

These areas will slowly begin to get muddy to the point that even the main channel may become muddy. However, the coves that have very little water coming into them will remain green and fish will naturally be drawn into these areas. There is a window where these areas will pay off big… it could be hours or days depending on what happen at the dam and how much water in coming into the lake.

My experience in this kind of situation is one that I never over look. I usually know where there are a few short coves that have little water running into them. I check these first. If I find green water, I hop from one to another fishing lures like AC-Shiners, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. This has paid big dividends more than once. I have even seen Bass cruising the bank as they move out of the dirty water and stack up in these little pockets of green water.

When they open the dam, and the trash starts moving toward the channel, the green water will begin to disappear. It will begin to mix with dirty water as it gets pulled out toward the channel, and muddy water will start to fill these little protected pockets.

The next time you find yourself in this situation, try out the green water strategy. You may find that while everyone else is fishing the muddy water you find a bonanza just waiting for you to get your line stretched.

Till Next time

Good Fishing!