Best Weather for Carp Fishing
Carp fishing isn't easy, and many beginners can become discouraged after a string of blank sessions. However, even the most experienced carp anglers will blank - it's just all part of the experience.
However, if you know what weather conditions carp prefer, catching them will be that little bit easier!
The ideal weather conditions for catching carp include a moderate to warm air temperature, low air pressure, south/south-westerly wind direction and an overcast sky which all makes for perfect 'carpy' conditions.
Affects of Temperature on Carp Fishing:
Starting off with the water temperature, a stable temperature is essential! Carp become less active in water that is both too cold and too warm, but can become increasingly active feeding machines in more temperate temperatures.
As a result, many venues will produce the most bites in the evening, into the night or early morning hours, like first light for example in Summer. This is when the water and air temperature is slightly lower and the water contains more oxygen. This is also true in late Autumn/Winter, and early Spring, when the daytime temperatures are typically a little higher than during the night.
Of course it's difficult to define what "moderate" temperatures are, but from experience, water temperatures ranging from 47 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 14 degrees Celsius) during the Autumn/Winter, and 60 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 22 degrees Celsius) during the Spring/Summer are ideal for catching carp.
It's also worth noting that during winter, fish shoal together for warmth and are usually found in deeper areas of the lake where the water takes longer to cool, so look for those deeper areas of the lake and you won't be far from them!
How Air Pressure Affects Carp Fishing:
In carp fishing, barometric pressure (air pressure in simple terms) can be an extremely important factor in a carp's behaviour. Carp are large fish that can detect and respond to pressure changes underwater.
When it comes to carp, barometric pressure that has been low for a while, or that is slowly falling is the absolute best.
After a longer period of high barometric pressure, which tends to slow the carp down significantly, a drop in air pressure (ideally over several days) can really get them going.
If you think about it, it's only natural, isn't it? With less pressure weighing the carp down and affecting their swim bladder, their movement and activity increases. This, in turn, means that the fish are hungry!
What is Air Pressure?
Winds high in the sky pull air from the ground or push it back towards the ground, causing air pressure. A high-pressure system in the winter is typically associated with clear skies, cold temperatures, and frost. Beautiful to look at and photograph, but not necessarily the best for angling.
A low-pressure system, on the other hand, will be cloudy, windy, and maybe rainy. The carp are more at ease in these much warmer conditions.
What Wind is Best for Carp Fishing?
Whilst wind direction isn't the most crucial element in carp fishing, windy conditions in general can be extremely useful when fishing for carp.
A good 'chop' on the water you're fishing on has numerous advantages:
The water surface is disturbed therefore less light enters it and visibility is reduced, allowing the carp to move around and feed with greater confidence.
Surface water and waves that are agitated can absorb more oxygen.
Insects and other food supplies on or near the surface are pushed to the margins, and the carp follow.
As a result, a nice breeze is always welcome during a carp session!
Finally, because southern or south westerly breezes are usually a little warmer and occur in conjunction with lower air pressure and moderate temperatures, these are the wind directions to look for when planning a session.
There's a good little rhyme to remember about the wind:
When the wind is in the north, the skilful angler goes not forth
When the wind is in the south, it blows the bait to the fish’s mouth
When the wind is in the east, the fish will bite the least
But when the wind is in the west, the fishing is at its best!
Can Cloud Affect Carp Fishing?
An overcast sky with denser clouds has a good effect on carp because clouds indicate less light and therefore less visibility underwater.
Carp can be highly cautious and easily spooked creatures, therefore a lower light intensity is ideal for them as they feel more comfortable.
A heavy cloud cover also traps the warmth beneath it, resulting in a more moderate ratio of daylight to night time temperatures in both air and water.
Such consistent circumstances allow carp to maintain their appetite for a longer amount of time.
Download a Weather App
Whilst we can't plan all our fishing around the weather, keeping on eye on weather forecasts is paramount and should give some indication of how the session may pan out. If you're lucky enough and you can plan to fish at the best times, ideally look for changes in air pressure. As soon as you see it dropping to below 1000, you should be in with a good chance of good session.
We all have smart phones and there's a lot of weather apps available. From experience, using a website called XC Weather or the smartphone app has been the most reliable and accurate and gives you details of air pressure, wind direction, rain % and rain mm, along with a longer range prediction for those who are planning sessions a little more in advance.
Conclusion:
Whilst all of the above can influence a carp's behaviour it can't always be applied. There will always be locations where the carp react very differently to changing weather conditions.
However, most carp fisherman will tell you that the conditions described in this article have provided them with their best fishing sessions. This is due to the fact that carp, as a species, behave in a consistent manner regardless of where they are situated.
So, if you're new to carp fishing or trying out a new location, fishing in such conditions will almost certainly increase your odds of catching your first fish!
Best of luck & tight lines.