Does a Full Moon Affect Lake Fishing?

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full moon lake fishing

If you have ever taken part in tidal fishing, you will have noticed that a Full Moon can be a great time to fish and be a really interesting time.

With the tides bringing in different types of fish and differing amounts of them, you can catch some fish you wouldn’t normally expect!

It could be that you also take part in Lake Fishing but have never gone out to fish on a Full Moon and so you may be wondering, what effect could the Full Moon have on Lake Fishing, if any?

Within this article, we will go over what you can expect from your Lake Fishing experience during a Full Moon and what this could do to alter your catch.

Is there a difference when Lake Fishing in the Full Moon?

There are, in fact, some differences when you go Lake Fishing under the light of a full moon.

Whilst you will find that fishing out near the sea in areas affected by the lunar tides will have a greater difference during a full moon (due to the fact that the tides directly correlate to the moon), there are definitely some different things that take place in Lake environments as well.

Why are Lakes different during Full Moons?

All freshwater fishing spots, such as Lakes, change during a full moon as the brighter than usual environment will draw out more bugs and insects that will gather on the surface of the water.

Due to the increased potential food, smaller fish will come out to feed and will do so in increased numbers due to the abundance of bugs and insects.

This in turn will draw in larger fish to feed on the smaller fish and other creatures.

Therefore, a Lake Fisher can expect to find all kinds of fish to catch during a Full Moon and may even find that there are more of them than there might usually be at certain times of the day and at different stages of the Lunar Cycle.

moon light fishing
Sometime we forget how beautiful it can be when the light is just fading

Why do some people say its harder to fish during a Full Moon?

There are a couple of reasons that people might perceive it to be harder to fish during a Full Moon. Obviously, fishing at night can bring its own inherent disadvantages.

Light Levels

One of the reasons it may be seen as harder is that you will need your own light source with you to some degree.

Although it must be said that Full Moons do tend to be a fair amount brighter than a typical night may be.

If you find fishing during a Full Moon is too dark for your liking, an excellent investment would be something like a headtorch or an electric lantern that you can hang from a perch.

Any kind of light source that can be utilized hands-free to make sure you can make the most out of your fishing will make an excellent addition to your fishing gear.

Location

A large reason that some people may not find success when fishing during a full moon is that the fish simply aren’t in the places you would usually expect or be used to.

As the smaller fish go to feed on the unusual amount of insects and bugs on the surface, they will draw the larger fish too.

These fish may not usually be so close to the surface or may even be drawn to a different area of the lake entirely – an area that you would not typically expect to find them (at least not in larger numbers).

So, in order to take full advantage of the Full Moon, you should adjust your fishing strategies and this will allow you to make sure you get a great catch and one that may even exceed your typical expectations for Lake Fishing.

Try to look for areas on the Lake with lots of surface insects and activity at the surface and a little below. The bigger fish will be just a bit deeper underwater still if those are what you wish to catch.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, there is in fact a difference when Lake Fishing during a Full Moon. You can expect to find some increased activity and fish in areas you may not usually inspect.

You should prepare to fish in a typical areas and make sure to bring a light source in order to get the most out of your time fishing.

Hopefully, this article has been useful in letting you know what exactly to expect from Full Moon Lake Fishing and how to make the most of it.