Where do you look to find fish? In the water, of course. But you need a more exact answer if you're an angler trying to catch them.

Fish might be found in water scarcely deep enough to cover their backs, or they might be 30 feet deep. They may feed on the bottom, on the surface, or anywhere in between. Each species of fish goes through different cycles at various times of the year and eats different foods.

Spawning puts fish in one place, their need for cover another and their tolerances of temperature and oxygen levels another. By studying a lake or stream, you can learn what attracts fish, where they may be during certain times of the year, and when it is the best time to fish.

Cover - Small fish use cover to escape predators and large fish hide in cover to ambush their prey. Some fish spend most of their lives near cover; others move toward cover only when feeding. Aquatic plants, tree tops, rootwads, logs, and boat docks, are considered to be types of cover. Crappie and goggle-eye are well known for their affinity for cover.

If the place that you are fishing has aquatic plants then try fishing along the edges. Tree tops, rootwads, and standing trees can be found on the bottom, on the surface, or anywhere in between and are excellent places to fish. Try fishing your bait over the top of submerged cover.

Fish will often rise to take it. If that doesn't work, let your bait go deeper, even to the bottom, until you discover what the fish want. Usually you can never have too much woody cover, especially in a lake. If you need to increase the amount of woody cover in your lake the best trees to use are osage orange, pin oak, post oak and cedar. Firewood cutting leftovers and Christmas trees can also be used to create excellent woody cover.

Structure - Boulders, undercut banks, dropoffs, points, ridges, islands, creek channels, and sand or gravel bars are all natural features found in lakes or streams. These features shape the beds of lakes and streams. These elements often attract more fish than do flat or gently sloping bottoms; any irregularity in the bottom, like a boulder, can hold fish. To identify these features look for clues on land or in the water. Land points often extend into a lake; a path between flooded timber indicates an old river channel; a break in a wave pattern reveals an underwater island and a weed edge may indicate a drop-off or ledge.

Seasonal and Time of Day Distribution - Fish respond to water temperature and light levels in different ways. Generally, fish are in shallower water (and easier to catch) in low light and choppy conditions, and in deeper water when the sun is bright and winds are calm. Fish are often shallower in the spring and early summer during spawning. In summer fish tend to go deeper, especially in the middle of the day, to find cooler temperatures, but in lakes, fish will not go to the bottom because of low oxygen. In the fall fish can be found in deep or shallow water.

Look for fish in deeper water in the winter where the temperature is warmer.

Fishing can be good at any time. However, fish seem to prefer the low light conditions of morning and evening better than the bright sun of midday. Cloud cover may encourage fish to bite at any time. Night fishing for catfish, bass, and other species is often very good in the summer.

Weather - Weather certainly affects fish, but not always in predictable ways. The following statements often prove true.

* Fishing is good before and during a gentle rain but poor during and after a thunderstorm.

* Warm fronts improve fishing, and the longer the front stays, the better. Cold fronts often reduce fish movement.

* A light to moderate wind is better than no wind. Fish will move shallower to feed in windy conditions. Fishing is usually better where the wind blows into the shore than away.

Knowing your fishing spots and identifying all the different types of covers and features that are located in the lake or stream will enable you to have a better chance to catch fish. If you are looking for a place to fish the "1998 Missouri Department of Conservation Fishing Prospects at Selected Missouri Lakes and Streams" is now available to give you some ideas where to fish on public lakes and streams. For more information on fish and fishing contact the Conservation Department at (573) 290-5730.

Brad Pobst is a fisheries management biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation.