About how big should a stream be to have fish in it?

Question

Also, how shallow should the stream be?

Answer 1

some of the best trout fishing I have had in my life was from a stream that was at it's widest five foot wide and deepest about three to 3.5 feet deep with undercut banks and lots of rocks for fishg to hide near/under.

big pools generally hold big fish but they do wander up and downstream looking for food...cover is very important as is a good supply of water all year.  Many small streams are overlooked and do hold a few decent fish.

Answer 2

Water temperature, type of stream bottom, and year-round flow are more important than stream size or depth.  Fish will forage in shallows where the water barely covers their backs.  However, they won't venture far from pools or pockets where they can find refuge from predators or unfavorable water temperatures.

Small, shallow streams...where they do hold fish populations...are extremely sensitive to fishing pressure.  If you're eyeing a local creek as a fishing spot, use common sense;  practice good judgment (catch & release, barbless hooks, etc) to preserve the fish population and don't spread the word of your discovery.

Answer 3

Depending on the fish you are looking for, the body of water can be fairly small and still be a good spot. Trout fishing with a fly rod is a good example of this sort of thing. If your water conditions are good, you will find trout fishing to be excellent even in water only a few inches deep. Many times, a good fly fisherman can spot fish large trout by observing their backs breaking the water in very shallow passes.

     If you are looking for other sorts of fish, you will probably want a deeper and more slow-moving stream. Down here, you can catch big bass and catfish in pretty small creeks if the conditions are right. Circulation needs to be good, in order to keep the water from stagnating, or larger fish will be unable to survive. Observe the nature food sources in and around the water, and you can usually determine how "healthy" a particular hole or stream is. If food is abundant, you will likely start catching good fish.

Answer 4

I've caught 2 lb. smallmouth in ankle deep water. But there should be some deeper holes in the stream as well. Most streams that run year round will have some type fish in them. Whether or not they will be big enough to catch remains to be seen.

Answer 5

The stream doesn't need to be very wide....but it should have a few deeper holes or under cuts, under the bank, to have cover for fish.  It needs to have a water temp that is suitable for the fish, and should be fairly clean.  The water can be about a foot deep in most places.