Fortunately for those who sleep in, there are exceptions and a few useful rules.
During winter, of course, everything's cold across most of the US so it's small baits, light lines and patience needed. Cold slows the metabolism of fish, but there's less food under the ice. As a result, things seem to even out.
In the summer you have the other problem, tailwater runs cool below dams. As the water flows downstream, or mixes with tributaries, it warms. So, if the temperature at the dam is too low for the species you seek, move downstream until you find optimum conditions. When planning trips for this summer realize that watersheds effect temperature. Those that face south warm faster than those that face north. This is the same reason snow stays longer on north slopes. So, for example, tributary creeks on the south side of a river that drain north may run five degrees or so cooler. Most stream fishermen know that tributary creeks run cooler than main streams. This is why tributary stream mouths, like cooling springs, offer prime action, and why inlet streams at lakes attract fish. Trollers find optimum temperatures that moves gradually deeper all summer until, after surface waters cool in the fall, "turnover" mixes things up. Flyfishers prefer to fish morning hatches, midday hatches and evening hatches. If you're new to fly fishing don't fret about exact matches. Knot on a fly that's roughly the right color and size and you'll catch something before the "exact match" types. Catfishing folks enjoy another temproateoption. They can fish all summer after work and after dark when it cools down. Crappie and bass anglers enjoy a summer advantage too. The species they seek find warmer water optimum. So you can do well all summer along spots like Idaho's Coeur d'Alene River's chain of lakes.
For freshwater species preferences http://finefishing.com/EVERY%20MONTH/TEM...
For saltwater temperatures click on http://finefishing.com/EVERY%20MONTH/TEM...
Got kids? Bobbers suspending worms strung on size 10 hooks suit the inlets at reservoirs or My own summer preferences run to smallmouth bass and trout on rivers like the Clearwater and Snake where temperatures stay down because of the cooling effect of dam releases well below pool surfact. Other good cool water targets include brook trout in most streams and crappie, pike and bass.
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