When To Go Gold Panning? 5 Most Lucrative Times Of The Year

Some people think that to be successful in gold panning all you need is a pan and a lot of patience. But what makes some people sift through the sand and get much better results compared to others? It’s actually all about when to go gold panning.

Top gold panners just don’t go and look for gold at random, anywhere they want to. Usually, they think and plan in detail before doing the actual work. With strategic thinking, perseverance, and patience they are able to achieve a lot more than others.

When To Go Gold Panning – Location, Location, Location

One of the core aspects every person looking for gold has to consider is location.

You can’t pan for gold using the best gold panning kit anywhere you want to, and, in fact, you shouldn’t. Despite the common misconception, not every river or creek has the same value for a panner and or yields the same results.

Timing Of Your Trip

Even more important than the location itself, is the timing of when you go. By choosing the right time, you can increase the opportunity to find gold many times over.

Check Out The 5 Most Lucrative Times For Gold Panning

1) Snow Melt…

Did you know melting snow can reveal a lot of treasure? When winter eventually turns into spring, and the snow begins to melt, it can give be a successful way to finding a lot of hidden treasures which are brought to the surface.

The natural powerful forces forming snow and ice and the pressure created when water freezes, damages the rocks, ore and gravel. Rocks are cracked open, or weakened, river and creek beds change course, freeing minerals and taking them with the rush of water down the river.

A good strategy is to look for places where the water is forced to slow down. This is where gold tends to accumulate once it travels downstream.

Here are 7 Useful Points You Need To Know As A Beginner

2) After Heavy Rains

Heavy rains or local flooding have an enormous impact on the rocks and minerals. Heavy rainfall and excessive water forcefully rushing across areas which are not usually wet, help move minerals from one place to another.

Often hidden treasures are revealed, which were to this day hidden away under the top layer of the soil which has been washed away and moved elsewhere.

Of course, be careful and don’t pan during a flood or when the water level is dangerously high. Use your common sense please! Wait for water levels to fall and for the power of water to decrease before panning.

You’re not only risking your life, but also wasting time as the moving materials in rushing discolored water make it hard for you to pan effectively.
Lack of rain is not a problem either! You don’t need excessive rainfall or floods to look for gold.

7 Beginners Tips Every Gold Panner To Help Find Gold

3) Times Of Drought

Sometimes, all you need is a summer drought which will make water disappear from certain areas completely.

Droughts are great at revealing places which were earlier completely impossible to access. The best areas you can start panning in during a drought, are those with black sands. Sifting through black sand makes it much easier to notice and find gold.

Sometimes, you don’t need a completely dry land. Look for places in local creeks and rivers such as revealed sand banks, creek banks and around rocks where it’s easy to pan thanks to the lower water levels.

4) Beach Panning

If you travel, you can pan for gold at the beach! And, if you live close to the ocean, you are already one step closer to finding a possible jackpot. The best time to search for hidden treasure is with very low tides.

The water comes and goes daily and you’ll find the average tide level changes throughout the year. The lower the tide is, the easier you can access areas further into the ocean. This way you can pan in places in which most likely no one else has done it for some time.

And by digging a little bit, you stand the chance of finding black sand which boosts your chances of finding gold and other treasure…

Remember to keep an eye on the changing of the tide!

5) Those Beautiful Warmer Months

When to go gold panning is best ventured into during the warmer months we have to say!! Going panning for gold in the colder months is no fun! You freeze to death, the heavens open and its just plain old wet, cold and miserable.

Anytime it’s warm outside and the sun shines, late spring, summer and autumn are perfect times to go gold panning. Make an adventure of the whole experience. take the family, pack up the car and accompanying gear and head out to explore new territories.

The Gold Prospectors Association Of America is a treasure trove of useful information and can answer any question you may have. I highly recommend you take a look at their comprehensive site today.

Remember gold panning is a great hobby and a fantastic way to spend the time outdoors on a sunny day. You can go and look for gold any time when the weather is warm and the day is bright. Gold panning is a great way to socialize with other panners, train your patience and possibly find some valuable nuggets from time to time.

When To Go Gold Panning- Expect The Unexpected …

To get the most out of panning for gold, you can always remember you never know when you will find the gold…or the treasure revealed… they can be anywhere and turn up in the least expected place. And, as the practice shows, most times the flash and fun of the find comes when you least expect it. That’s why you’re best to focus on treating the experience of when to go gold panning as a great day out and time to enjoy being outdoors. Enjoy having fun and being outside in beautiful surroundings, even sharing with friends or new friends you have just met…

A list of some more gold prospecting associations for more information:

The New 49’ers

Gold Miners HQ

Nevada Outback Gems

Gold Fever Prospecting

Gold Rush Nuggets