Spring runoff can be an abundant time to look for gold. The snows are melting and spring rains add to the runoff. With that runoff and turbulent flows come new washouts of gold. Spring is a great time for gold prospecting. Looking at maps and where to find gold, one can further look to where the snow melt could offer up new gold in the swollen streams, creeks, and rivers.
Many gold prospectors look for heavy snow or springs rains to help them find gold. During the spring, placer gold washes out and can get caught in cracks formed in stream bedrock. Gold, being one of the heaviest elements, sinks into cracks and crevices of streams and bedrock. A great place to look is in those cracks when the flow dimishes over the coming months. Use an implement to get into the crack and get the sand and dirt out. Sluice this dirt to see if there is any color. If you are in a gold producing area this can be a very productive way to find gold.