Provo harbor live cam

[catchinon]

For what it's worth, here's a link to the Utah Lake State Park's conditions page. When you scroll down to the bottom you will see a live view of the harbor. Could be useful if you're interested in seeing if it is icing over, or whatever.

https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/utah-l...onditions/
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Not likely to be any ice soon. Water temp is listed as 58 degrees...maybe the hot water in the restrooms.
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[catchinon]

Yeah, I noticed (see the pun?) the temp thing, too. Can you shed any light on that? I take such reports with a grain of salt. But could the harbor water be much warmer than the channel and lake? Sure would love to find some of that 58-degree water to fish []. The lake water has to be about, what, 40 degrees?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I'm guessing that they do not update water temps very often. No problem in the summer, but during transitional periods of spring and fall a couple of days can see big swings in water temps. Both fish and fishermen are affected by those changes.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Utah Lake is shallow and thus heats and cools much faster than deeper lakes. With the recent cold nights and cooler days I'm guessing the water temps are somewhat under 40 degrees. On nights that drop into the teens skim ice will form in the harbors and other protected areas.
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[#0000FF]Historically, there is usually a big northern front that comes through about the first week of December. That generally puts the first fishable ice on Utah Lake harbors...but not always. We shall see.
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[catchinon]

Thanks; pretty much what I thought, but it's been a loong time since it was 58 degrees.

I've been trying to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of turnover. I know that Utah Lake is too shallow to have the temperature stratification that deeper lakes do. But once it caps over the mixing caused by wind is negated. Can you help me understand what happens then as far as temperature stratification goes? I know that water is densest at 39.2 degrees F. How does that relate to the fact that the water in the lake is now lower than that? I hope you can see what I am trying to figure out and splain sumthin bout it.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Craig, I think it's just the top water levels that get lower than 39 degrees, if I understand it correctly the denser water sinks so the bottom of the lake will have 39 degree water and up top it gets cooler and cooler until it freezes up....

Anyway I've been seeing ice in the back sloughs up here that has been holding all day long the last few nights, so I suspect another day or two it might hold at 2.5 to 3" of ice... but I haven't checked it yet, plus the sloughs aren't great for fish this time of year, so not likely a fishen spot, but might be a place to go try an auger out to makes sure it works before hitting a fish'en pond... I picked up a new drill this year and I need to go see how it works... I took it Saturday, but didn't take it out on the lake and try it... Missed a good chance, but didn't want to get a new drill wet if I fell through... and then the fish started biting so I never made it back to the truck to get it to give it a try... Anyway, that's how I understand the freezing thing... Hope that helps... J
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]As you probably already know, in shallow lakes like Utah Lake there is really no stratification and no turnover. Even under the ice the temperature on the bottom is usually no more than a fraction of a degree different than right under the ice.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]You don't have to take my word for it. Next time you are out on the ice at Utah Lake, cut a large hole and jump in...with or without clothes. I doubt you will be able to discern any difference between upper and lower depths. But I think you will be colder once you get back out of the water...if you can. Hope you look good in blue.
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[Therapist]

Acturally the physics of it go like this. As water cools, it becomes denser till it hits the max density at 39 degrees. After that as it continues to cool, it becomes less dense and rises to the surface. So when you get 39 degree water, it sinks to the bottom, where it displaces the water on the bottom, which then rises, cools, sinks, and the cycle continues till you have a homogeneous mixture ( everything is the same temp). At that point the surface continues to cool, but rather than sink, it sits on top of that dense layer on the bottom and continues to cool till it freezes. The beauty of this process is that if water continued to do what all other matter does, the colder it gets the denser it gets, all our lakes would freeze solid and never liquefy as the denser water would continue to sink to the bottom. Water becomes less dense as it cools below 39 degrees and hence ice floats, fortunately for us !! The sinking of the denser water also oxygenates the lower levels of the water, allowing fish, invertebrates, and plant life to survive while the lake is capped w/ice, which prevents the oxygenation of the water !. It is a pretty unique process and one that goes against the laws of physics that other gases, liquids, and solids abide by !!

[Fowl-Hook]

Thanks for the articulate explanation, even I finally got it.
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[lakepowellnut]

Like this?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Yeah, perzackly. Some fools will do anything to look cool.
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[catchinon]

That's as clear and simply an explanation as I have seen. Thanks.
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[catchinon]

[quote TubeDude][#0000FF]
[#0000FF][b]You don't have to take my word for it. Next time you are out on the ice at Utah Lake, cut a large hole and jump in...with or without clothes. I doubt you will be able to discern any difference between upper and lower depths. But I think you will be colder once you get back out of the water...if you can. Hope you look good in blue.
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I would gladly take your advice and take a dip but it's against the law to make such a big hole in the ice--others might accidentally discover the phenomenon for themselves. We'll take your word on faith. BTW when did you test this yourself? Must have been an accident as I know you are no scofflaw.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Of course I would never cut a hole in the ice larger than allowed by the regulations for the subject water. But If the ice broke and allowed my "ample frame" to go through, the hole would be about that size.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]PS...been there, done that...but escaped with some wet lower extremities. Coulda been worser.
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[catchinon]

Was this you?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Nay. The guy in the pic is too old and fat. I am much younger and in better shape. I wish.
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[Fishrmn]

You can cut as big of a hole as you want in the ice. You cannot fish through a hole larger than 12" that you've cut at most waters in the state. You can use 18" holes at Bear Lake, Fish Lake and Flaming Gorge. You can dipnet for cisco at Bear Lake through any size hole you would care to cut.



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