Warm Weather This Week

Before you pass judgement, remember this is only my second season icefishing. Since its gonna be so warm this week (maybe hit 50 by Saturday if the weather computer is being honest), are our days of hard water fishing numbered? The ice seems plenty thick in most places and I suspect it takes a few weeks of warm weather to really get a good melt going, but I am wondering how long the good ice will last with these warm conditions?

Regards,

Joe

Take everything I say below with a grain of salt–carry a spud bar and spikes with you if you go out this weekend.

If the ice you’re fishing is a foot or so thick right now, and not getting any current, it can handle a few days of warm weather, so long as we don’t get a bunch of rain, which can really mess things up. A lot of Macbride should still be fine this weekend, for instance. 12″+ ice lasts longer than we often give it credit for. I would be VERY careful if I was just west of the causeway on the south arm or near the powerlines, though, and would avoid those areas altogether by Sunday. If the heat wave goes on for a few days beyond Sunday, even ice that is now 12″ or more will get mushy. Every lake has some “bad spots” like those on Macbride, and this is when it is especially important to know them.

It is February 1, so we should get at least one more deep freeze before the real melting begins. If not, open water walleye fishing should pick up in a couple weeks on the interior rivers.

The yardstick I measure by is nighttime temperatures. If they’re below freezing, in general, it’s good to go.

The first FTR Ice Get together, remember, was in mid-March.

I am heading up to Minnesota this weekend, so I won’t be fishing down here. I did go out this morning for an hour or so on a small pond in Coralville, and there is still about 10″ of good clear ice under the packed and melted snow. This ice can handle a few more days of warm weather.

I was at macbride last night and the ice was still fine.

Looking at the long term weather forecast, we will be in store for a return to more winter like conditions and temps from Sunday onwards.

Gonna hit the Mac later this week. I’ve got my new, trusty $3.99 laminated Lake Macbride “Marked” Fishin’ Map (it says, “Kickin’ Fin Since ’94”) to get me on the hottest spots.

Regards,

Joe

Good luck Joe, Ive been out there the last two nights and been pretty disgusted. I think Im gonna try kent park next time.
Dave

I was out at Mcbride Thurs afternoon until dark. Met two guys out on the ice ” Tom & Joe ” sure was tough fishing for quality fish.

Fished Hawthorn on fri 7:00 to 4:30 PM. Only took home about 15 Crappies, very unusual for Hawthorn. I could’nt believe that the ice was only 4 inches at the dam, and what’s with this weather? Five bees landed on my coverals, & I’m like a hundred yards from bank.

Well, You know what they say about Iowa, if you don’t like the weather, just wait a bit

Sat I did about 30 miles on the bicycle, & had to shed clothes as I went