North Shore Lake Conditions

Ice depth measured 16-17 inches in the area of our houses today.

We have all the houses out that are on the schedule and things are in full swing. With the exception of access to ANY of the mudflats by full-size vehicles.

We have 16-18 inches of ice where the houses are along the shoreline fishing grounds. So all sizes of vehicles are welcome.

Although the latest cold temps have locked up the main lake ice sheet from moving, there is still NOT any full-size vehicle travel to ANY of the mudflats from the north shore and NOT any full-size vehicle travel to Knox Point.

By this weekend, the 27th-29th, ATV travel should be just fine to the mudflats and to Knox Point. Today, the 24th, we have 6 plus inches on the ice areas that were open water a week ago.

We now have banking snow on the ice with about 3″ falling over the past few days.

Fishing reports are “spotty”. Some pretty good and some tough. A fat 29″ walleye came to our scales this morning!

We will be up to our shack next weekend again. Do you foresee any chance of getting to the flats with a truck by then? I’m guessing no but thought I’d ask.

We will continue to check the ice all the way out this week. In most areas, we are close to 11-12″. But somewhere in between, the last ice to freeze is less. That ice has to be crossed. And not until it is a solid 12″ or more…..

So, let’s hope!

January 31st

The guys drilled and measured ice throughout the open water areas from a couple weeks back, yesterday (the 30th).

A week ago, the newest ice was 2.5 inches thinner than the 2nd newest ice. ( 7.5 inches and 5 inches respectively) Now, after the cold snap this past weekend and cold nights for a week, the two age groups of ice have equaled out. Both are now 10.5 to 11″. So that’s the ice we have to cross to get the flats. How long it will take to get another 2 inches, who knows. It takes much more cold temps and time to gain an inch at 11″ versus when it is 5 to 7″.

In other words, ATV traffic is just fine anywhere to the flats but NO FULL SIZE VEHICLE travel to the flats from our areas at this point. Maybe next week? Maybe not this year….

Fishing reports are “spotty”. This past weekend, many reported tough results. But some reported great numbers of fish caught. The range of depths where fish were caught in good numbers covered the whole spectrum. But the same held true within the poor reports as well.

20 inches of ice where our houses are now!

Monday, February 6th

Like the Super Bowl game, the Super Bowl weekend was a good one on all fronts. Fishing reports and weather were all on the bright side, for most that ventured out.

The warms temps have not put on much, if any, new ice on the areas that were open water as of January 14th. Checking today, we still found between 10 and 11 inches of ice between shore and the in-close mudflats. So, obviously, we will not allow full-size vehicle traffic to the mudflats from our access for the near future. Maybe, with temps dipping downward toward the end of this week and coming weekend, we can gain the 2 plus inches we need. Maybe not….so as of now, there is no doubt, at least until a week from today, it will not be safe to drive to the southwest of Red Door, if in a full-size vehicle of any version.

ATV travel to any of the mudflats from our access is just fine.

Still no snow to speak of on the ice, so banking snow is a commodity.

In other words, fishing has been good for most and ice conditions are great along in-shore areas for any version of full-size vehicle. ATV travel only to the mudflats until future notice.

THANK YOU to everyone for coming to The Red Door!!!

Friday, February 10th:

As we approach a cold weekend, the ice conditions along the shoreline areas where all our houses are is in fine shape. The ice is around 20- to 22 inches thick in the areas we have roads to and houses located within. Snow depth on the ice is less than 3 inches so off road travel is fine with all forms of travel. Wheel houses are VERY welcome in the shoreline related areas!

From our location, we are still not advising travel toward mudflat country. Although much of the ice is over 20 inches thick out there, ice that is only 11-13 inches is between our shore areas and the mudflats. With live cracks forming, unpredictably, on the shore side of the mudflats and the good ice, we suggest it is too much of a gamble to cross the thinner ice areas with full-size vehicles of any kind.

ATV travel to the mudflats in any direction is fine. Just watch for open cracks wide enough to drop a wheel into.

In other words, ALL sizes of vehicles and wheel houses are good to go to the shoreline related areas and NOT toward the mudflat areas. If you choose to go out there from our direction, you are doing so against our better judgment at this point. Getting to the mudflats from other points of access around the lake might be fine. From our location and the line of travel needed to take to get there, we are not advising it.

Our roads lead to 28 to 30ft. of water to the south and east with good fishing reports coming from those areas.

Good luck fishing!! THANK YOU for coming to Red Door!