Choosing a fishing spot on rivers and lakes

Choosing a fishing spot on rivers and lakes. Choosing the right fishing spot is 70–80% of the success of any fishing trip. Even with the most expensive gear and the best bait, you can end up without a catch if the fish simply aren't where you're looking. In rivers and lakes, fish aren't distributed randomly, but according to strict laws: food supply, water temperature, oxygen content, current, depth, cover, and seasonal migrations determine where they will be at any given moment. Reading a body of water is a skill that comes with experience, but following these basic principles can significantly improve your fishing results from your very first fishing trip.

Key factors influencing the choice of location

Fish always choose a location where they feel comfortable and where there's food. Key parameters:

1. Water temperature is the main factor. Each species thrives at its own temperature: pike and perch are active at 10–18°C, carp and grass carp at 20–28°C, and salmonids (grayling, lenok, and taimen) at 4–12°C.
2. Oxygen content—the higher the better. It's highest in cold water, in rapids, near springs, and tributaries.
3. Current is critical for river fish. Grayling, chub, asp, and ide thrive in the current, while bream and roach thrive at the boundary between the current and still water.
4. Depth and relief - fish stay on slopes, edges, holes, tables, snags, rocks.
5. The food supply is where there are a lot of fry, crustaceans, larvae, insects - there are both predators and peaceful fish.
6. Shelters include driftwood, grass, rocks, shade from trees, and underwater edges.
7. Lighting - in hot weather, fish go into the shade and into the depths; in cloudy weather, they come closer to the surface.

Choosing a place on the river

A river is a dynamic system. Fish are constantly moving depending on water level, temperature, food, and pressure. Key promising areas:

1. Rapids and streams (fast water)

• Depth 0.5–1.5 m
• Pebble or rocky bottom
• Moderate or strong current
• Classic places for grayling, chub, asp, ide, roach, and dace
• Fishing on riffles always involves active searching, fan casting, and guiding in the current.

2. Clamps and return lines

• Areas where the current hits the shore and returns back
• Depth 1–3 m
• Often snags, tree piles, stones
• Large grayling, ide, chub, pike, and perch are found here.
• The bites are sharp, the fish are close to the shore

3. Pits and whirlpools

• Depth 3–8 m and more
• Slow or reverse current
• The bottom is silty or sandy-silty
• Classic locations for bream, white bream, large perch, pike, pike perch, whitefish, and peled
• Fishing with a donk, feeder, mugs, and tip-ups

4. Eyebrows and slopes

• Depth differences from 1.5 to 4–6 m
• Often a hard bottom with shells
• Bream, roach, perch, pike perch and large pike are found here.
• The best fishing is with a feeder and a bottom fishing rod along the edge

5. Mouths of tributaries and streams

• Water mixing zone, high oxygen content
• Lots of food brought by the current
• A classic spot for grayling, ide, chub, pike, and perch
• Spinning and float fishing

6. Under steep banks and cliffs

• The depth under the shore is 2–6 m
• Often snags, tree piles
• There are large pike, perch, pike perch, ide, and chub here.
• Spinning and bottom fishing

Choosing a location on the lake

Lakes are a more static system; the fish here move less, but are clearly tied to the terrain and food supply.

1. Coastal zone and shallow waters

• Depth 0.5–2 m
• Grass, reeds, driftwood
• Fish of the carp family (crucian carp, tench, rudd, roach), perch, and pike are found here.
• Fishing with a float, spinning rod, or bottom fishing rod

2. Eyebrows and slopes

• Differences from 1.5–2 m to 4–8 m
• Often a hard bottom with shells
• Classic places for bream, roach, perch, pike-perch, and pike
• Fishing with a feeder, bottom rod, and mugs

3. Deep pits and tables

• Depth 6–15 m and more
• The bottom is muddy or sandy
• Here you can find large bream, white bream, perch, pike perch, pike, whitefish, and peled.
• Fishing with a donk, feeder, mugs, and in winter - with a jig and a spoon

4. Mouths of inflowing rivers and streams

• Water mixing zone, high oxygen content
• Lots of food
• A classic spot for predators and peaceful fish
• Fishing with spinning rods, bottom fishing rods, and float rods

5. Underwater banks and tables

• Elevations of the bottom in the middle of the depths
• The depth above the bank is 2–5 m, around 8–15 m
• Large perch, pike perch, bream and pike are found here.
• Fishing with spinning rods, bottom fishing rods, and mugs

How to read a body of water and find fish

1. Visual signs

• The fry emerge, the water boils – a predator is nearby
• Birds (seagulls, terns, herons) above the water - a school of fish
• Bubbles on the surface - large fish are digging in the mud (but sometimes this can be a sign of the presence of a saltpeter worm in the fish, when the fish looks lethargic and exhausted)
• Grass and reeds - crucian carp, tench, rudd, pike

2. Weather and seasonal signs

• Before a thunderstorm and when the weather changes, the bite intensifies.
• In hot weather, fish go deeper and into the shade.
• After the rain, the fish come out to shallow water and estuaries
• In autumn, fish roll into holes and into the depths

3. Echo sounder and depth finder

• They show relief, temperature, and fish shoals.
• Particularly useful on large lakes and reservoirs

4. Experience and observations

• Remember the places where the fish were last caught
• Keep a fishing diary - time, weather, location, bait

The rivers and lakes of the Putorana Plateau have a unique topography: deep canyons, cascades, powerful riffles, huge holes, and rocky cliffs. Grayling are found in the currents and riffles, lenok and char in the shallows and under the cliffs, and taimen in deep holes and pools beneath steep banks. Choosing the right spot is especially important here—the fish are local, and a 10-20 meter error can cost the entire catch. Thanks to the pristine nature and icy, clear water, fishing on the Putorana Plateau becomes a true adventure, where knowledge of fish habits and the ability to read the water become decisive factors for success.

Choosing a location isn't random, it's systematic. Master these principles, and your fishing will be much more productive. Good luck on the water!