The path of the sun has moved to the south and jackets are becoming standard attire for those who fish Lake Lanier during the early morning or late evening hours. The surface temperature is in a downward spiral, the feeding binge for bass and other predators has begun and the lake is showing the first signs of the annual renewal process known as fall turnover. Though turnover can be a period of turmoil below the surface of a lake, this is an excellent period for knowledgeable fishermen. The turnover process is actually quite simple, but few anglers really understand this yearly change. As the water cools, it becomes denser or heavier and begins to sink. The warmer, lighter water below is then forced to rise to the top where it is also cooled, and the process continues until the thermally-layered waters of summer are homogenized throughout the reservoir. This metamorphosis also mixes the oxygen-rich water above the thermocline with the poorly oxygenated water in the colder depths, which gives the lake a renewed capacity for life from top to bottom. Rains associated with cold fronts accelerate this process.
Recognition of the turnover process can be as simple as the use of one’s senses of sight and smell. Usually a change of color in the water near the surface can be seen. The water will have a brownish tint to it and often smell like rotten eggs or decaying vegetation as the turnover brings the bad water at the bottom of the lake to the surface.
The poorly-oxygenated water that is being pushed upwards from the floor of the lake temporarily trashes the whole system. Therefore, the key to success is to find good quality water. Read more: – http://www.examiner.com/article/fall-turnover-brings-great-fishing-to-lake-lanier?CID=examiner_alerts_article