Just fished a small river/ big creek today that i have fished many times over summer and caught numerous 1-2 pound smallmouth. The waterway is generally probably 40 feet wide and probably on average 3-5 feet deep. Many calm deep pools and wide/deep rapids. Fished both and didn't even spot a single fish. Even sat and watched the largest, deepest pool waiting to see even the smallest fish and still didn't see a single bit of movement. Does anyone know what may be happening to these fish in this small stream during these cold months?

Food becomes more scarce. The Delaware river has a similar problem. Weeds die no tree hatches ETC.   I think they move to the lower deeper areas near the ocean with clay & year around water weeds & food chain to squeak out a living.  Just a guess. 

The move to the deepest holes and congregate. Smallmouth are so well camo'd that it's possible you were looking right at them and never saw them. I've also seem them pile up under root wads and under big rock or clay overhangs where you'd never see them without going into the water. 

As the water temps drop their metabolism slows down to the point where the rarely have to feed. Depending on the river system, they may have migrated several miles out of the creek and into the river the creek feeds into to find deep slow moving water. That's why winter fishing is tough. Even if you find the wintering holes, they probably won't be doing a lot of feeding.

Sounds like the river I fish. If so, the smallies are many miles downriver. Start looking for them again in the spring when morel mushrooms start popping up, that's my indicator.

. Smallmouth are so well camo'd that it's possible you were looking right at them and never saw them.

 

 

How true. I have released smallies in 7'  of gin clear water and watched them go straight to the bottom and vanish.