With this stretch of warm weather upon us, is it too early to start wondering when the Rainy will be free of ice?
I’ve been going up each spring to chase sturgeon since 2011 and the earliest date I have logged for ice out in Baudette is 3/21/16 of last year. In 2012 I had it going out of Baudette toward the Gap on 3/24.
Our annual trip can’t come soon enough. We are booked for 4/12-4/16.
We went up in 2012. First day there was still ice on 4 mile bay. It was gone when we left on Sunday. It was pretty cool seeing the bay change in 4 days.
im thinking about going for the early season this year. im curious, do most people go during the last week of the early walleye season?
We’ve almost always gone up the Wednesday/Thursday Walleye season closes which is usually around the 13th-17th depending on the year and what date that thursday falls. A couple years ice was out through Baudette where we do most of our fishing a couple of weeks before and a couple years the ice was still east of Baudette. I guess what I’m saying is that we don’e really focus on when ice out happens. Our best year of fishing was last year and it was the earliest ice out in the 6 years I have gone.
I know some like to follow the ice edge and feel like it’s the most productive time but I haven’t necessarily experience that.
Unless we have another long prolonged cold snap, I bet the ice will be going out through Baudette around that 3/21-3/24 time like it did last year.
Radar this morning looked like they where getting some rain up there. That will open a river and knock down the snow cover.
I kinda like the idea of just picking a time to go and if conditions turn to heck just go fish somewhere else. Lots of good places to fish the next couple months and I’d bet the sun is always shinning on one of them.
Been raining all day here. Actually pouring pretty good at the moment. Lots of sheet water in the fields and starting to get some flow going down the ditches. If this continues it won’t be good for ice fishing but will start to open the river.
We’ve almost always gone up the Wednesday/Thursday Walleye season closes which is usually around the 13th-17th depending on the year and what date that thursday falls.
Not sure about your statement when the walleye closes at midnight the 14th every year.
Not sure about your statement when the walleye closes at midnight the 14th every year.
GMG – I never fish for walleye so I’ve never paid too much attention to the end of the season for it up there. I just new a couple of the years it fell on the 14th which was a Thursday so I assumed it was similar to our openers where it tends to fall on the same weekend but the dates may be slightly different by a a day or two depending on the year.
Much larger window to fish sturgeon. Its nice to be there when walleye ends. Everybody leaves so it’s like you have the place to yourself. Plus when the walleye closes no more decisions to make. It all sturgeon.
Much larger window to fish sturgeon. Its nice to be there when walleye ends. Everybody leaves so it’s like you have the place to yourself. Plus when the walleye closes no more decisions to make. It all sturgeon.
I remember when that actually was true, not so much anymore. Last year I had to park 1/2 mile away (nearly all the way to hwy 11 at vidas) a full week after walleye season ended. The funny thing is that we are always the last boat on the water and there sits the truck 1/2 mile away at 2am . 
No doubt about it, there really isn’t a quiet time up there anymore and I think its pretty damn cool what a few guys like BK, Chris, and Dennis started 12 or 13 years ago. I look forward to it every year.
I remember the 1st year we had a GTG up at WigWam. That was a blast… One of the funniest scenes I have ever seen.. I think Dennis was the boat behind us.
A guy named Marty tells the story best. I still cry laughing each time I heard it told again. I heard someone had video also. One of the guys in their boat was snagged or had a big fish. I still believe he was snagged but either way they came up with a plan to unhook from their anchor so tied a small marker buoy to their anchor rope let the rope go but the rope was still through the steel ring on their bow. So that didn’t work. He untied the buoy, pulled the rope clear of the bow and tied the buoy back on to the rope. There was so much current that when he tossed that rope in the water it instantly dragged the buoy underwater and I think about the same time the dudes line broke. We were laughing with them at this time but sure the guy who had is line break wasn’t laughing much.
Yep, watched that one with my own eyes. LOL My favorite story from up there was one year the ice just opened up out in 4 mile and even a few icebergs still floating around and it was about 8 or 9am. A guy was releasing a pretty big fish over the side of the boat and he had it in a nice 2 arm firewood type cradle and as he leans over to release the big girl, it was like he forgot to let go and instead just does a forward somersault right into the 35 degree water. Boy he got a lot of cheers as he made his way back into the boat, and then next thing you know there he is in his full birthday suit shouting “good morning America…..good morning Canada”. Oh man that was hilarious.
That is funny… Get those guys over from the Frozen Chosen to do some filming up at 4 mile and they could make us look like a bunch of donkeys too. It is quite the show some days and a lot of fun.
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