Hey!
Heading down Saturday to ice fish somewhere pool 4. Has anyone been off Frontenac lately? Curious if there’s been a decent bite (and also decent ice conditions). Was planning to just walk out from the landing, but up for trying someplace else as well. Will report back!
Be leary of the points and the tip of the point ice conditions but should be plenty good to walk else where. No word on the bite – Ill be out and around this weekend. Not sure on location yet.
I’ve been out a couple times down there. I’d look for this weekend to be an absolute zoo with the nicer weather and following the cold temps. A week ago we had anywhere from 4.5″ of ice to about 9″ depending where you set up.
The bite and staying on fish was pretty tough both times I was there this year. If a guy wants to catch some saugers and eyes, you’re way better off hitching up the boat and going another 20 minutes up river.
Some interesting ice today when I drove by the lake . I’d be careful on those heaves and cracks . Didn’t see anyone on the other side of them today by Frontenac .
First picture is one of many I saw that looked wet .
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That looks too sketchy for me!
Those are on the lower end of Lake City it looks like? Did you take any pictures of the ones by Frontenac?
There’s a lot going on by Frontenac with both the points and natural bend of the riverbed, along with some different bottom hardness all in a relatively small area. I remember 15 years ago how it always seemed to be local river rats fishing the area…as it has become more popular I’ve seen more and more “close calls”. The truck parking incident, wheelers through, side by sides through, etc.
I think I’ll pass on frontenac for tomorrow! 
thanks for the info!
Those are on the lower end of Lake City it looks like? Did you take any pictures of the ones by Frontenac?
There’s a lot going on by Frontenac with both the points and natural bend of the riverbed, along with some different bottom hardness all in a relatively small area. I remember 15 years ago how it always seemed to be local river rats fishing the area…as it has become more popular I’ve seen more and more “close calls”. The truck parking incident, wheelers through, side by sides through, etc.
Correct by lake city – I did not – I should have but it tried from up top and it wouldn’t show on my phone – usually hate it when people drive down there and rubber neck and clog it all up . You can def fish below the point as that’s where the big heave was was right above the point . The cracks looked wet . Not sure if it was just coincidence or what . Was hard to tell with the snow flurry coming down . Maybe it’s not a big deal but I’m not super familiar with crossing heaves so I might wait a few days to play . If you wanted to fish Frontenac area you definitely can – but you are isolated to not moving as far up or down the lake from what I can see .
Not trying to scare anyone away. That’s not my intentions .
The last time I fished ice at Frontenac it was quite cold and had been for several days. We popped some holes and settled back to jig and my buddy kept saying he could hear water running. I looked at shore and noticed the rock pile that extended straight out to just about where we were sitting [wing dam] and started to snoop around a bit. Just five feet from where said buddy had his butt planted on a bucket we found open water under some shale ice that had heavy frost on it so the moving water was not visible but could be heard. We packed it up an went elsewhere to fish.
A couple days later there was a fiasco with several trucks thru the ice right where we were sitting.
So here’is something to think about if you’re going to fish Frontenac. Like during hot weather, during severe cold the nuke plant has more demand for electricity. That means more warm water than when its warmer out. The nuke plant cannot by law release water above a certain temperature threshold, but the plant can release MORE water that is warm. Its this increase in flow that hits that wingdam and is lifted up as it flows over it and that extra, warm water erodes the ice from the bottom up. Since the wingdam there is made of rock it is uneven and the water flowing over it is not uniform in how this erosion takes place: some areas can be thick ice yet while others only a foot or even inches away can be almost open water and that thin spot can be large….like in the size of a car.
Of all the places there are to catch fish thru the ice on the river, Frontenac is the last place my butt would be found.
Someone on here had to be out there today . Any takers ?
Just a heads up if you want to go upriver out of frontenac the heave had standing water on it yesterday. I did see some guys cross on foot. No machines. Few vehicles out of maiden rock. 12-15 inches of ice where I was at . Slow bite .
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