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Medina River Natural Area
San Antonio, Texas · Nature preserve
73°F: within the range for largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish, outside their optimum
The water is inside the temperature range largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish live in, but not in their optimum. It says how they would grow and feed if they live here, not how many you'll catch. We don't list which fish live here yet.
- Water 73°F at Medina Rv nr Somerset, TX, 0.2 mi away, as of Wednesday, Oct 28, 5:45 AM CDT.
- Season: fall.
- Waning Gibbous, 83% lit; solunar major 3:17 AM–5:17 AM and 3:49 PM–5:49 PM (folklore, see below).
Provisional reading from the USGS stream gauge: Medina Rv nr Somerset, TX (0.2 mi away), taken Wednesday, Oct 28, 5:45 AM CDT.
Where 73°F sits for common freshwater fish
Temperature ranges from fisheries research. They describe how the fish feed and grow, not a catch forecast, and they don't apply to salt water. We don't yet list which of these live in Medina River Natural Area; check your state's fishing guide.
- TroutToo warm
73°F and up: trout stop growing and are stressed. Montana restricts afternoon fishing on streams that reach 73°F three days in a row.
Based on rainbow trout. USFWS Habitat Suitability Index: Rainbow Trout (1984)
- BassIn range
Warm enough to grow, below the 75–86°F optimum.
Based on largemouth bass. USFWS Habitat Suitability Index: Largemouth Bass (1982)
- PanfishIn range
Spawning-season warmth, below their 81–88°F feeding peak.
Based on bluegill. Wisconsin DNR bluegill review (2015)
- CatfishIn range
Warm enough to grow, below the 75–85°F optimum.
Based on channel catfish. Mississippi State University Extension: catfish biology
Moon and solunar times
Thursday, Oct 29 · Waning Gibbous, 83% lit · times in CDT
| Window | When | Centered on |
|---|---|---|
| Major | 3:17 AM–5:17 AM | Moon overhead |
| Minor | 11:14 AM–12:14 PM | Moonset |
| Major | 3:49 PM–5:49 PM | Moon underfoot |
| Minor | 9:25 PM–10:25 PM | Moonrise |
Anglers swear by solunar tables: the idea, popularized by John Alden Knight, is that fish feed most when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major windows, about two hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor, about one hour). The moon times are real astronomy; the evidence that fish keep to them is thin. Treat them as a fun tiebreaker, not a forecast.
Sources: water temperature from USGS; species ranges from the sources linked on each card. Moon times are computed from standard astronomical formulas and agree with the US Naval Observatory to within a few minutes. A fishing license is required; check local regulations before you go.