Re: [Paddlewise] Taking Water Temps

--- Rick.Sylvia_at_ferguson.com wrote:
...I want to ask you how you do it (for those who do).
> 

Since I've been coordinating the PTFL, I take the
water temp at each launch (mainly to raise awareness
of how very cold our water can be even late in the
season).  I have a stream thermometer on a lanyard
with knots at 5' and 10' depths.  I paddle out from
the launch about 100 yards or so and stop, drop the
thermometer to depth, and sit for about 3 minutes. 
Haul the thing in quickly and read it before the air
can affect the temp.

The 5' depth is my target, the 10' is just for fun to
see the stratification in the water.  I figure in a
capsize you'll be sitting in the top 5' of water while
you try to get back in the boat, so that's what's
relevant for my purposes. 

I have tried to measure while under way, but as you
have noticed trolling with your thermometer only gets
you info on the top 2 inches.  Since I haven't figured
out how to stay at that level out of the boat it's not
real meaningful to me.  It depends on what you're
after.

Since I live on a large, deep (660') lake, it is
subject to "lake turns", where the water temps can
vary as much as 10-15 degrees F in a day's time when
the lake "turns".  Also, the direction of winds can
greatly affect the surface temps.  In my case, a
strong sustained wind from the north blows in warmer
surface water to my cove, where a sustained S-SE
pattern (typical) will result in a gradual drop in
temp over a couple days.  These surface changes are
only noticeable in the top 3-5 feet, the temp at 10'
stays relatively constant.

Enjoy,
Jennifer

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