Lower Mystic Lake, Upper Mystic River
Decided to make the most of the nice weather this past Saturday and made a quick trip out to Lower Mystic Lake and the Upper Mystic River, more to check things out after the winter.
Couple of observations to pass along:
* The recent heavy rain contributed to a pretty significant rise in the water level in the lake and in the River, probably as much as 4 feet or more in some places. Water continues to pour into the Lake from Mill Brook and Upper Mystic via the dam.
* Looks like there should be some decent new shoreline structure as a result of the rain and wind as well, with a number of trees having fallen into the water.
* Water temperature didn't seem too bad, but no evidence of any fish in the shallows, at least not yet. I did however see a ton of baby crayfish though, probably not much bigger than my thumbnail.
* Water clarity is pretty poor from the recent rains, and the current taking water downstream from the Lake to the River is still quite strong.
* Random observation, but there was a noticeable salt/saline smell in and around the River. I'm not sure if there's a saltwater wedge that pushes up the Mystic River, but it was the first time I've noticed it.
* Fished for about 3 hours, manly bumping worms slowly along the bottom, but only got one legitimate strike on the day.
* No sign of stripers yet.
Gonna try to head out again in a few more weeks once the weather warms up and stabilizes a bit, especially some time after any recent rain, this to allow water flow to ease up in the River a good bit.
You know, after I think about it, the recent rains and flooding could have an unintended benefit. As I said in my quick trip report the current heading from Lower Mystic Lake to the Mystic River was quite impressive the other day, and one of the consequences of that could be changed bottom terrain, especially if the water creates new cuts and depressions on the bottom. I think the Smallmouth in the river will like that :-)