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Washington: the months when each species peaks and when it goes quiet. The current month is outlined.
| Fish | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelhead | peak | peak | active | fair | active | peak | peak | peak | active | peak | peak | peak |
| Black crappie | active | peak | peak | active | active | fair | fair | active | active | active | active | active |
| Brook trout | slow | slow | active | peak | peak | active | active | active | peak | active | fair | slow |
| Cutthroat trout | slow | fair | active | peak | active | active | active | active | peak | active | fair | slow |
| Lake trout | peak | peak | active | active | fair | slow | slow | fair | peak | active | peak | peak |
| Walleye | slow | slow | active | peak | active | active | active | peak | peak | active | fair | slow |
| Whitefish | slow | fair | active | peak | peak | active | active | active | active | active | fair | slow |
| Rainbow trout | slow | fair | active | peak | peak | active | active | active | active | slow | slow | slow |
| Smallmouth bass | slow | slow | fair | active | active | active | active | peak | peak | active | slow | slow |
| Yellow perch | slow | slow | fair | active | active | active | active | peak | peak | active | fair | slow |
| Chinook salmon | slow | slow | slow | active | peak | peak | peak | active | fair | slow | slow | slow |
| Coho salmon | slow | slow | slow | slow | fair | active | peak | peak | peak | active | slow | slow |
| Largemouth bass | slow | fair | fair | active | peak | peak | active | active | fair | fair | slow | slow |
| Bluegill | slow | slow | slow | fair | active | peak | peak | active | fair | slow | slow | slow |
| Channel catfish | slow | slow | slow | fair | active | peak | peak | active | fair | slow | slow | slow |
Lake Surprise Lakes (Washington) — a spot well known among anglers. About 5 ha in area. A smart bite calendar — moon phase, atmospheric pressure, and weather combined into an hourly fish-activity forecast for the coming days.
Look for drop-offs and gaps in the weeds, retrieve slowly, lingering over promising spots.
Surprise Lakes — Wednesday, October 21
The bite is strong — fish are active. Pressure is dropping — this usually boosts the bite. Peak 07:00–09:00 and 18:00–19:00.
The computed water temperature is around 57 °F — colder than the 57–75 °F comfort range for Black crappie: the fish conserves energy and takes more cautiously.
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 dropping 0.12 inHg over the day — fish are usually more active ahead of a weather change.
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.
October 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 +57°
The day is 3 min shorter than yesterday.
Sunshine hours count direct sun only — cloud cover cuts it, so it is shorter than daylight.
Geomagnetic fieldG1 geomagnetic storm, Kp 4.7
Kp index — NOAA forecast. Not part of the bite score: catches show no link between geomagnetic storms and the bite.
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?Look for drop-offs and gaps in the weeds, retrieve slowly, lingering over promising spots.
Surprise Lakes — Wednesday, October 21
The bite is strong — fish are active. Pressure is dropping — this usually boosts the bite. Peak 07:00–09:00 and 18:00–19:00.
Other nearby waters
The shoreline is moderately indented: bays and points alternate with even stretches. Larger than 14 of the 20 waters nearby.
The water is sheltered: there is almost no fetch, so wind stirs it up very little.