How hot is too hot for smallmouth?
Water temperature affects metabolism, but laboratory preference, survival limits and successful fishing temperatures are different measurements. Neither a single surface reading nor a calendar month predicts location. Acclimation, oxygen, food and recent warming or cooling matter. There is no universal shallow-water evacuation at 24 °C (75 °F), nor a feeding shutdown at 7 °C (45 °F). After a front, compare the last productive spot, nearby shelter and adjacent depth; there is no reliable species-wide recovery countdown.
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More questions about Temperature & metabolism
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