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popolarbear · 07-29-2008, 01:54 PM,

i am trying to mentaly understand what affects water clarity for surface snorkleing/diving in shallow water. i have seen afew patterns that i now use to search for potential spots. june water clearity seemed much better generaly than the late july just about everywere i am frequenting. weekends on the boating lakes getts stirred up, so mid week is better. wind stirs it up......but on deeper mid lake structures the wind can actualy move clear water up and thru. so its almost like there might be a clear spot just depends on were on the lake you are. finaly weeds are awsome. every one seems so turned off by weeds wanting to remove them from the lake to "IMPROVE" the water quality. i think they have this backwards. the only thing that would improve water quality is the removal of organic sediment from the muck layer. that would crystalize the water clarity eventualy......my ideal spot i think would be a sandy clean streach surounded by weeds and is partialy either spring feed, or creek fed with spring water...i think that is my holy grail that im in search of(in the twin cities)....any coments...what sayeth the board?

Shooter · 07-29-2008, 04:56 PM,

Best local diving for water clarity that I have found is after Christmas, All the way through March 8).

popolarbear · 07-30-2008, 05:59 AM,

your talking hard water , just till after ice out. wow! thats hard core. havnt done that but its on my list. have to see if i got the cahonas to do that this fall.

Shooter · 07-31-2008, 12:31 PM,

Might have to change your screen name, if not ;D

Do you scuba as well? If so get your ice cert. if not I'm sure you could freedive out of our hole, We will get in at least 10 dives this winter 8)

arcFlash · 07-31-2008, 05:02 PM,

The weeks before ice are awsome as well. Late October/Nov!

I'll agree with Shooter, Ice is the best time of year. That is, if you ain't cutting 32 inches of ice! If Art gets a 40inch bar, I'm not going anymore. Smile

I want 8 inches of clear hard ice. Pull my sled out, Cut a hole in 3 minutes (by hand) and then dive. 2 hours to cut a hole is nuts but I do love the ice, so I do it.

popolarbear · 08-01-2008, 11:52 PM,

Might have to change your screen name, if not ;D

[/quote]

ok. its on. I will set my goal as late nov. im fishing anyways and have been interested in taking a look. im usualy one of the last 2-3 boats off lake minnetonka. i know for a fact in 2006 i was the last guy. as all launches were frozen in. the last launch open i was on(location and name omited to protect this late fall jewel). and when i came in i was driving thru skim ice. it was frozen all the way accross the bay when i was blowing out my water intake of my motor on the trailer!! that was increadible it got kinda calm and small pockets of open water with steam coming off. it was kinda wierd. i knew the fishing year was over!.... ive got tons of late fall stories. started my enjine on fire with a propane tourch trying to get my steering tube melted! how about 40mph cross winds in sub zero temps!. waves commiing over the bow....... 2006 thanksgiving we launched into cold weather with nasty wind. before the boat was off the trailer the entire inside (walls and floor!) was covered with ice!!!i took a handfull of sand from the launch road and thru it into the boat. we were at that point good to go. every member of that trip im sure had second thoughts. we basted the proverbal turkey any ways and got some good pictures. at least 2 30lbers(i think if memory is right).

dont dive... i keep having bad luck with certification. got scamed. lost 1200 at one point. ive read the books. studied. and ive done buddy dives. just the closet ive got to compleating the course turned out to be a scam. i guess you get what you pay for. (that was in hawaii).. i juggle too many hobies. and need to set a year asside and save my spending money and just do it. i realy would like to eventualy ice dive and river dive. i was not previously ready mentaly. but the tons of snorkling ive been doing recently ...i think i am mentaly ready for it....
any ways. yeh. i will try to get a late fall/early winter snorkle in and post some pics... i also have a unique river spot that is open all winter. water is clear and warm. public parking is there. and i think i quick dip then back into a van to change might work... on a boat in sub zero temps. im not exactly sure how it will go down. especialy if its windy. ive got a 6mil suit that is good for the exposure but somewhat challenging to get out of.

SCUBA Dog · 08-02-2008, 07:56 AM,

Might have to change your screen name, if not ;D

[/quote]

ok. its on. I will set my goal as late nov. im fishing anyways and have been interested in taking a look. im usualy one of the last 2-3 boats off lake minnetonka. i know for a fact in 2006 i was the last guy. as all launches were frozen in. the last launch open i was on(location and name omited to protect this late fall jewel). and when i came in i was driving thru skim ice. it was frozen all the way accross the bay when i was blowing out my water intake of my motor on the trailer!! that was increadible it got kinda calm and small pockets of open water with steam coming off. it was kinda wierd. i knew the fishing year was over!.... ive got tons of late fall stories. started my enjine on fire with a propane tourch trying to get my steering tube melted! how about 40mph cross winds in sub zero temps!. waves commiing over the bow....... 2006 thanksgiving we launched into cold weather with nasty wind. before the boat was off the trailer the entire inside (walls and floor!) was covered with ice!!!i took a handfull of sand from the launch road and thru it into the boat. we were at that point good to go. every member of that trip im sure had second thoughts. we basted the proverbal turkey any ways and got some good pictures. at least 2 30lbers(i think if memory is right).
[/quote]

Sounds like a small scale version of "Deadliest Catch".

"99"

popolarbear · 08-08-2008, 01:21 AM,

ok. this link that shooter listed is Awsome!!! if you havent had time to studdy this you may very well benifit from this. ... two lakes that i didnt think were well published or know show up like a sore thumb...i know these to have clarity in that 15ft+ so i think the map is accurate... also of interest is that the famous square lake rates low. just south of square is a better lake.....finaly i would mention that minnetonka shows up all as one level of clarity.. .. i know tonka as i spend a ton of time on it and that is not compleately accurate. some parts of some of the less frequented bays can get very clear....not sure what that means as far as the satelite imaging programming goes but at any rate this is a jewel of a map. and worth getting a copy of ....incidently i think this also usefull in planing fishing trips to get a feel for the fertility level of an unknown lake..... finialy i would mention just in passing that i am under the impression that lakes closser to major highways seem to be offeset from local water condition patterns possibly by increased sedimentation and surface water diversion.... i would imagine that for instance if lake minnetonka had all diverted surface storm sewers removed...then the water quality/clarity would increase dramiticaly(just like what is starting to happen in lake calhoun)

**freedivernd** · 08-08-2008, 03:06 PM,

and if you notice.. the south half of minnesota is generally not as clear as the north half.. I have heard, from reliable sources (not to be disclosed), that this is due to the fact the lakes of southern minnesota are much older than the lakes of northern minnesota.. so the years of additional materials to the water to the southern waters.. leaves, run-off, etc. is the reason those are not as clear as the northern waters.... generally.

popolarbear · 08-08-2008, 10:01 PM,

interesting. im not sure if i subscribe to that. but its interesting. the couple that i have identified, which i also know well incidently, are spring fed. these are sitting side by side to pea soup green lakes(feed by surface water). i think the shape of the lake also affects the clarity. as both of the crystal clear lakes are very deep.hoping to get some pictures of one of these if my camera holds out this weekend.(ive got 3 underwater cameras, and all are trashed.one im waiting to get back from repair).