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| Banks |
The sides of a river or stream between which the water normally flows. |
| Beds |
Circular areas in the river bottom that fish clear out in which to lay their eggs during the spawn. |
| Bend |
An area where a river or stream radically changes direction. |
| CFS |
Abbreviation for "cubic feet per second," the term is a means of measuring the flow of a stream. |
| Channel |
An area that contains flowing water confined by banks. |
| Chute |
A narrow area within a river carved out by swift water. |
| Cover |
General reference to physical features above and below the water surface that fish relate to. Boat docks, submerged timber, weedbeds, brushpiles and boulder fields are all examples of cover. Cover may provide relief from the view of predators, or from bright sunlight, or merely a hiding/resting place. In general, many fish such as bass prefer relating to cover or structure, over free-swimming in open water. |
| Cut bank |
An erosional feature of streams located on the outside of a stream bend. They are formed by the erosion of soil as the stream collides with the river bank. |
| Eddy |
A place adjacent to the main current where water "stacks" up, slows and reverses direction. Eddies provide excellent places for fish to hold with very little effort, while insects and other food items are swept in as if on a conveyor belt. |
| Effluent |
Wastewater (like sewage water or factory runoff) that flows from a factory or other facility. |
| Flats |
Very shallow water, easy to wade, usually with a sand bottom. |
| Grass |
Vegetation catch-all phrase. Refers to green plants growing in the water. Bass are attracted to the grass, which is home to prey. |
| Headwaters |
Streams and rivers (tributaries) that are the source of a stream or river. |
| Lift |
Also known as a "push" -- the area in front of riffles. In autumn, smallmouth bass like to stage in lift areas and often the first fish you get there will also be the biggest. |
| Meander |
A part of a river or stream as it follows a winding path. |
| Mouth |
The end of a river, stream or creek, where it empties into a large body of water. |
| Pool |
An area of slower, deeper water often behind a riffle. |
| Riffle |
Where the current rolls over a rocky bar and then slows down. |
| Riparian |
Located by the banks of a river, stream, or other body of water. |
| Riverbed |
The bottom of the river. |
| Riverine |
Relating to, similar to, or formed by a river. |
| Run |
A smooth, deep glide of water that usually follows a riffle. |
| Runoff |
Water that drains into a river (or other body of water) from uncontrolled streams, drains, or sewage lines. There is runoff from agricultural irrigation water, snowmelt, storms, etc. |
| Scour hole |
A hollow in the bed of a stream caused by the erosive action of rapidly circulating flow. |
| Seam |
A transitional zone between a faster main current and slower current in a stream. Important as a holding area for feeding fish. |
| Sediment |
Small particles of soil or rocks that are transported by water or the wind. |
| Silt |
Very tiny particles of soil or rocks that are 3 to 60 micrometers in diameter. |
| Siltation |
The deposit or accumulation of very tiny soil particles (silt). |
| Source |
The beginning of a stream or river. |
| Structure |
Reference to bottom contours and submerged natural and man-made features, such as old road beds and dropoffs. These features serve as travel routes and habitat for fish. |
| Tailwater |
A section of river that's immediately below a dam. |
| Tributary |
A river or stream that flows into another stream, river, or lake. |
| USGS |
Abbreviation for the United States Geological Survey. |
| Watershed |
The term given to the land that drains water into a particular stream, lake, or river. |
