We use cookies for analytics and advertising. Cookies necessary for the site to function are always kept. Learn more
Reservoir McFarland Lake (Iowa) — a spot well known among anglers. About 3 ha in area. The town of Ames is nearby. A smart bite calendar — moon phase, atmospheric pressure, and weather combined into an hourly fish-activity forecast for the coming days.
The bite is moderate — fish feed in short bursts. Weather is steady, with no sharp swings — fish behave predictably.
Best time — 06:00–08:00 (dawn bite) and 19:00–21:00 (dusk bite).
Look for drop-offs and gaps in the weeds, retrieve slowly, lingering over promising spots.
The water's turning murky — go with bright, noisy lures: small jig or minnow bait.
It's a hot day — a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of water are a must. Rain is expected — don't forget a rain jacket or a waterproof shell.
An average day — best chances during peak windows.
The computed water temperature is around 76 °F — warmer than the 57–75 °F comfort range for Black crappie: in the heat it drops deeper and feeds less often.
Black crappie works the twilight: the peaks are pinned to sunrise and sunset — their times are in the sun-and-moon card above.
Pressure is flat: it moves no more than 0.00 inHg over the day, so the weather isn't shifting today's bite.
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.
September is an active season for Black crappie here.
These are the same values the bite curve above was computed from. How the forecast works
Cloudy · feels like +100°
The day is 3 min shorter than yesterday.
Sunshine hours count direct sun only — cloud cover cuts it, so it is shorter than daylight.
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?