Cold stuns spotted seatrout

What do spotted seatrout and Brody, the amazing fish-finding and stock-trading dog, have in common? They do not like snow. 

 

I pulled Brody’s winter jacket and snow boots out of storage. Brody tolerates wearing a winter jacket but absolutely hates wearing snow boots. When he complains, I tell him to be happy he is not a spotted seatrout.

 

Currently, the Charleston Harbor water temperature is 49 degrees. This is the lower range of a seatrout’s temperature tolerance. A few degrees colder and the trout becomes nearly immobile. This makes them vulnerable to predators like dolphins and sea otters. If the cold-water conditions persist, the trout will die off.

 

Thankfully, the smart fish take refuge in deeper water where the temperature is more stable and a bit warmer. The not-so-smart fish that remain in shallow water become food for predators.

 

The last time it snowed here, I went fishing in a small creek. The water was extremely clear, I could easily see trout laying on the bottom of the creek. They were not dead, but they could barely move.

 

A dolphin slowly swam up the creek and ate the hapless trout. Further into the creek, I encountered an otter. It was also feasting on the cold-stunned trout. It was not a good day to be a seatrout.

 

Of course, Brody thinks wearing snow boots is nearly equivalent to being eaten by predators. I think the trout would gladly wear snow boots if they had feet (or paws). Following the recent winter storm, it is possible if not probable that our spotted seatrout population was negatively impacted.  

 

If you are on the water and observe a fish kill, please report it to marine@dnr.sc.gov.

 

Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.