Do oxygen levels affect how trout respond when caught? And what oxygen levels are safe for trout?
Although we can’t find out the oxygen levels (Parts Per Million – PPM) for our rivers, we can find the oxygen levels for Lake Taneycomo (LT) by going to “Water Conditions” on our website, selecting the Lake Taneycomo “map”, and select “Current Values” and scroll down to Dissolved Oxygen. The most recent ppm for LT oxygen is 4.36ppm. Is that good enough to fish? And BTW the water temperature at LT is a cold 52 degrees. Ideal conditions?? Not really!
Normal dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in healthy water range from 6.5 to 8 ppm. Levels below 4 ppm cause stress for fish, and levels below 2ppm can prove fatal. So even though the temperatures are great for trout maybe we should think twice about fishing for trout with low dissolved oxygen levels. At Lake Taneycomo dissolved oxygen levels are much higher in the winter and spring months and recede during the summer months (a lot due to the temperatures and Table Rock Lake turning over). Did you know that at times when the ppm gets too low they pump in extra oxygen into the water at the Lake Taneycomo dam!!
Here is a chart with General Dissolved Oxygen Ranges:
* 8 – 12 ppm: Excellent and very healthy for trout
* 6.5 – 8 ppm: Normal and healthy range for most natural water systems
* 4 – 5 ppm: Minimum acceptable stress levels for trout
* Under 3 ppm: Hypoxic danger zone; most fish will try and flee the area
* Under 1 ppm: Anoxic dead zone; fish cannot survive
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