River temps in the sub-arctic.

[Keeled Over]

I have searched the site and done some googling but cannot find the information. It doesn't even matter really.

What I am curious about are the river water temps up over 60th? Not actual temps, but a description, bathwater, ice water, etc. Seems the air temp averages 55 F or so - that makes sense to me. And most of the pic's I see have people with at least one layer on, but usually more.

Ingress/egress can be wet foot affair, but the site has people are out frolicking in the water. I thought the water would be too cold for this. Maybe little back bays and eddies that heat up? Stock photo's? Dry suit is not required, but I will bring my waist high breathable waders for fishing. Wear the waders in the boat?

So, anybody taking quick dips in the water up there?

 

[Mason]

I've mostly stayed out of the water up there, but I do bathe occasionally. I'm a wimp with cold water, but it's tolerable for a quick wash, and most spend more time in it than I do. With air temps, it can get pretty hot, especially on calm lakes--t shirt weather. I do wear long sleeves all the time for bug and sun protection, some wear tshirts instead.

I'd suggest rubber boots in the boat. One partner used a dry bottom, which was nice for deeper water landings (brush), but certainly not needed. We've done a fair bit of whitewater on trips, with no dry suits, but no dumps either. For a primary whitewater trip (less mild stuff/lakes), I'd definitely take a dry suit. I like a dry suit for some Alaska rivers (e. g. Copper) as they are glacially fed, fast, no eddies. If you went in you'd go a loooong way.

 

[Rubbaboo]

Sight fishing for lake trout is not uncommon ..

 

[recped]

It can vary a lot but generally I would say that when you are in the main flow the water is likely to be colder than you would want to spend much time in.

Without a dry suit I would not want to stay in the water more than a few minutes, more than that and the risk of serious hypothermia is high.

I was on the George River (Northern Quebec) one year when air temps exceeded 90f every day for almost a week, that only made the water feel even colder.

I was able to find some info online but nothing scientific, I expect you will find +/- 50f in mid summer.

Personally I always have at least semi-dry bottoms (with integrated booties, the greater the potential for a dump the more likely I'll be wearing a full dry suit.

 

[PaddlingPitt]

I found this information on the internet. I couldn’t find where the data were collected; but, in my opinion from paddling the Thelon, and other arctic/subarctic rivers, the water was cold. Kathleen and I never went swimming; but maybe we’re wusses.


Britannica
https://www.britannica.com › place › Thelon-River



https://www.britannica.com/place/Thelon-River
Feb 13, 2024 — Water temperatures can be as low as 29 °F (−2 °C) at depth in August, although surface temperatures may reach 49 °F (9 °C) in September.

 

[Alan Gage]

At around the 60th parallel, after an arduous portage on a hot day, I was going take a swim in the river to cool down and wash my clothes and myself. I managed to get crotch deep before I decided otherwise. Instead I stripped down, rinsed my clothes and used them as a sponge to clean myself.

I'm sure if I would have just dove in I would have soon gotten over the shock. I waded many rapids up to my waist while pulling the canoe upstream and didn't think anything of it. My mind was fixated on other things though.

Alan

 

[Keeled Over]

Sight fishing for lake trout is not uncommon ..

I love that! I used to do this in Michigan years ago and loved it. I ordered a rod just for these bad boys and it arrived today - been whipping it around the den all afternoon. August seems a long way away.

 

[Keeled Over]

Thank you for your replies folks - appreciate the info. I suspect I'll take a careful approach when the time arrives. It's been many years, but I got my certification for scuba in Lake Superior in March, and while we had wetsuits on I have a vivid memory of never wanting to do that again.

I'm will try to keep my inane questions to a minimum!

Thanks again.

 

[ppine]

Plenty of lakes have ice floating in them in July.

 

[yknpdlr]

The Yukon River and other waterways in the region are fed by melting glaciers. During the Yukon canoe races the water temperature is said to not be above 40F. On Lake Laberge race strict (and monitored) safety rules require us to remain within 200m of the eastern shore, and at times that lake gets extremely rough, during one such time with heavy following waves that we "surfed" down I questioned in my mind if the average swimmer could make it to shore from a swamping near the 200m limit.

Below Dawson in July there were places where we could paddle nearly under eroded overhanging cutbanks with visible white permafrost ledges hanging and large frozen earth chunks falling into the water near us, some causing over gunwale high waves.