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United States / Iowa / River Gard Branch

Bite forecast: River Gard Branch

  • length 2 mi
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Best fishing days for the next week

  1. ThursdaySeptember 10weather-based forecast
    65/100high activity

    Partly cloudy: 66–97 °F

River Gard Branch (Iowa) — a popular fishing spot. About 4 km long. This page shows an hourly bite forecast for today and the week ahead; the algorithm factors in the weather, atmospheric pressure, and the moon phase.

MondaySeptember 7weather-based forecast
63/100high activity

Partly cloudy: 68–91 °F

  • TuesdaySeptember 8weather-based forecast
    60/100high activity

    Clear: 77–100 °F

  • Nearby rivers

    • East Platte River6 mi
    • Todd Branch7 mi
    • East River8 mi
    • Hog Branch9 mi
    • Middle Platte River9 mi
    • East Branch Middle Platte River9 mi
    • Saylings Creek9 mi

    Nearby water bodies

    • ReservoirMaharry Lake7 mi
    • ReservoirEast Lake8 mi
    • ReservoirWaterworks Lake8 mi
    Loading map…

    Bite calendar

    Friday, September 4

    Aug 31 – Sep 6
    Mon
    Tue
    Wed
    Thu
    Fri
    Sat
    Sun
    Bite activity:highmediumlowslow
    Based on:weatherseasonal
    What is a bite calendar?
    Smallmouth bassWhite bassMuskellungePikeWalleyeYellow perchBlack crappieWhite crappieBluegillCarpChannel catfishFlathead catfishLargemouth bassRainbow trout

    Black crappie

    5/10 · Fair

    Hourly activity

    0:006:0012:0018:0023:00
    Bite activity:highmediumlow

    The bite is moderate — fish feed in short bursts. Weather is steady, with no sharp swings — fish behave predictably.

    Peak bite hours

    Best time — 06:00–08:00 (dawn bite) and 19:00–21:00 (dusk bite).

    Tactics

    Work the cover — snags, weed edges, hole entrances; retrieve the lure with pauses.

    Lures

    In clear water, natural colors work best: small jig or minnow bait.

    Gear

    It's a hot day — a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of water are a must.

    Summary

    An average day — best chances during peak windows.

    How this forecast is calculated

    Why this forecast

    The computed water temperature is around 75 °F — warmer than the 57–75 °F comfort range for Black crappie: in the heat it drops deeper and feeds less often.

    Computed water temperature by month; the green band is the 57–75 °F comfort rangecomfort 57–75 °F75 °F
    JFMAMJJASOND

    Black crappie works the twilight: the peaks are pinned to sunrise and sunset — their times are in the sun-and-moon card above.

    The day: daylight hours and when Black crappie feeds0:0012:0024:00

    Pressure is rising 0.09 inHg over the day — the bite usually settles down after a rise.

    Pressure through the day, 0.09 inHg change
    00:00 · 29.7623:00 · 29.84 inHg

    One more input — the moon's feeding windows: within their hours the score sits higher than across the rest of the day. The window times are in the “Solunar feeding periods” card below.

    Feeding windows on the day scale0:0012:0024:00

    September is an active season for Black crappie here.

    JFMAMJJASOND

    These are the same values the bite curve above was computed from. How the forecast works

    4 SepFriday, September 4
    +88°

    Cloudy · feels like +96°

    Low / high
    +72°…+92°
    Precipitation
    0.00 in
    Wind
    7 mph S
    Cloud cover
    86%
    Humidity
    62%
    Pressure
    29.84 inHg
    00:00+75°—6 mphsouth wind, 6 mph77%0%
    01:00+74°—5 mphsouth wind, 5 mph77%0%
    02:00+74°—5 mphsoutheast wind, 5 mph77%0%
    03:00+73°—4 mphsouth wind, 4 mph76%0%
    04:00+73°—4 mphsouth wind, 4 mph74%0%
    05:00+73°—4 mphsouth wind, 4 mph74%0%
    06:00+72°—5 mphsouth wind, 5 mph76%0%
    07:00+72°—3 mphsouth wind, 3 mph77%3%
    08:00+74°—3 mphsoutheast wind, 3 mph79%10%
    09:00+79°—7 mphsouthwest wind, 7 mph73%6%
    10:00+83°—7 mphsouthwest wind, 7 mph67%0%
    11:00+85°—6 mphsouthwest wind, 6 mph64%0%
    12:00+88°—7 mphsouth wind, 7 mph62%86%
    13:00+89°—8 mphsouth wind, 8 mph61%9%
    14:00+90°—7 mphsouth wind, 7 mph58%0%
    15:00+91°—6 mphsouth wind, 6 mph56%92%
    16:00+92°—6 mphsouth wind, 6 mph53%2%
    17:00+92°—7 mphsouth wind, 7 mph54%21%
    18:00+90°—5 mphsouth wind, 5 mph58%8%
    19:00+88°—3 mphsoutheast wind, 3 mph67%61%
    20:00+85°—5 mphsoutheast wind, 5 mph67%100%
    21:00+83°—5 mphsoutheast wind, 5 mph72%10%
    22:00+81°—4 mphsoutheast wind, 4 mph78%98%
    23:00+80°—3 mphsoutheast wind, 3 mph81%100%
    +92°+82°+72°
    Weather throughout the day
    0:006:0012:0018:0023:00

    Sun and moon

    Friday, September 4
    The day: daylight and the hours the moon is above the horizon. Local time0:0012:0024:00
    DaylightMoon above the horizon
    Sunrise
    06:46
    Sunset
    19:46
    Day length
    13 h
    Sunshine hours
    12 h
    UV index
    6
    high
    Moon
    Last quarter
    Moonrise
    —
    Moonset
    15:20

    The day is 3 min shorter than yesterday.

    Sunshine hours count direct sun only — cloud cover cuts it, so it is shorter than daylight.

    Solunar feeding periods

    +13% in the windowFriday, September 4
    Feeding windows on the day scale, local time0:0012:0024:00
    Major periodsMinor periods
    • Major06:10–08:10Moon overhead
    • Minor14:50–15:50Moonset
    • Major18:42–20:42Moon underfoot

    The windows are set by the moon's transit and rise, and the forecast above already accounts for them: within these hours the bite score sits higher than across the rest of the day, while the day's overall level still comes from the catch-calibrated model.

    What are solunar periods?