Thread: Help with water clarity questions

Hello everyone, I've been visiting and fishing in the GULF Shores Orange Beach area for about 20 years now, and going to the Florida Panhandle of my life. The pier is my happy place.

I have often wondered what, if anything, affected the water clarity there. I know that rainfall has a lot to do with it, but I am wondering if there is any seasonality that dictates when the water is clear and cloudy. Sometimes we go there and it is like you are in the Caribbean, other times it is like you are at the lake.

Can anyone elaborate on this? Also I am brand-new to this forum. thank you for allowing me to be here. I often wonder if I would ever want to be a part of a group that would allow me to be a member, but I feel like I'm at home here!

my brother and I and our sons enjoyed the nice Spanish run there late last week on spring break. Lost all of our gotcha plugs.

Welcome Memphish!
First thang you gotta learn...


LOL!

It's mostly about wind and waves stirring sediment or bringing in runoff (fresh water) from bays east or west.
But there is a bit of biology going on mostly in the fall.

Hope this helps!

Welcome to the family Mempfish! I often wish the gulf would be like an aquarium all the time but that's not nature. I have discovered through experience that in the spring, the spring rains have a lot to do with the clarity. Runoff of fresh water from Mobile Bay and a West current, bring the cloudy water toward the pier. Conversely, an East current brings the Perdido bay water toward the pier.
Ive noticed that during the summer and fall, the water is usually much clearer. Pier #'r is also correct with natural sediment entering into it, but again, from experience, the water looks clearer without the spring storms around.

good fishing everyone...

Thanks pier#r! Fixed it. You all have been great help already! 😀

Golf Sures also shows up, right next to Arng Beech.

Ripcharts will let you look at satellite info more than 5 days old for free. Keep an eye on chlorophyll. It is always higher in our area (and off LA) than the panhandle. That shows lots of little creatures are thriving in the nutrients that come down the rivers.

When we have droughts we have clearer water and more pelagics like mahi and wahoo. I have found I am more likely to find mahi to the SE of Perdido Pass than south or southwest.

Like the #'r said, more pronounced in the summer and fall.

Ripcharts MapSearch

Ripcharts MapSearch