Please use this thread ”only” for reporting ice conditions in SE MN. And please remember that no ice is safe ice and that the conditions reported here are what someone found in the certain area that they were in. This doesn’t gauantee that all the ice on that body of water is that certain thickness. Please use care and be safe.
Thanks, Bill
Good reminder Bill
There is a skim of ice on the very shallow MS River backwaters today. I actually saw a trapper walking on some ice. Won’t be long now! 
Good Fishing,
Mike
HOF–I was thinking that you may have been off by a day on your fishable ice prediction. Then I realized that I talked to you on Saturday,not Sunday. Not bad, considering that was 6 days ago and it was about 55 degrees with no ice. 
I can’t go on Sat. and have made plans for the ice show on Sunday. Looks like a vacation day for me next week. That’ll really be a shame.Hope you beat me to it. Good luck to anyone that gets out this weekend.Be careful.
I don’t see any snow coming our way and only ice making temps are here for sure. This weekend would be a good weekend to fish off of the docks at the marinas and or take in the Ice Fishing Sportshow and maybe next weekend the ice might be safe in ”shallow water” areas in the backwaters. Its makin ice so if we give it some time we will have safe ice this year hopefully. 
I’m one of those guys who likes to play it safe. And as long as my boat isn’t put in storage yet and I don’t have my ice fishing gear all gone over yet we will keep getting ice building temps. 
Thanks, Bill
checked a small local pond that i always smash early ice gills on this morning by shore 3 inches walked out further to find 1 1/2 or so of ice…..i think by sunday afternoon i might check it with someone there and if all is good..GAME ON better go fill the rest of my deer tags tomorrow witht he muzzlelaoder cause the time has come!!
Walkable ice on many of the backwaters today…..although I wouldn’t suggest it without a good pair of waders 
a solid 1 1/2+ on the shallower areas…….to thick for the boat to break through even 
…….won’t be long now for you crazy ice nuts 
Hi Jake! 
Don’t kid yourself Tom! You know that you’re fired up to see that spring bobber start moving funny. 2.5foot UL rod versus a 18″ bow…doesn’t get any better. Well, maybe the first couple times down to Wilcox when you only dare take one pole, cause you’ll be too busy for two.
Bunnies in the morning and pannies in the evening. I love this time of year!
You’ll notice that he appears to be wet right up to the nuggies. Waders are a good idea on 1.5″. What if there is 2 feet of water and six feet of thin muck under the ice?
If fishing the marinas its a MUST to stay on the docks and drill your holes and fish from the dock. Its too early to get on the ice as its not safe yet.
Jake, great to see you again. Where have you been? Keep us posted on the backwater ice and fishing in the Winona area, ok?
Thanks, Bill
Snuck a couple hours tomorrow morning to do a little fishing. Checked this afternoon and there is about 1.5 – 2 inches good clear ice in spots around Rochester. I stood out on it in about 6 inches of water. I swear I heard the sirens calling. The spud goes through in one good solid poke though, so I think I’ll try the marinas. 16 tonight, 21 tomorrow, and 7 tomorrow night is looking good for Sunday fishing in the Rochester area if you’re careful. Anyone know how Willow Creek Reservoir looks?
Thanks for the report Troy!
I will be going Sunday for sure. Plan to start in the backwaters around Wabasha/Kellogg. I realize there are many of you that cannot even think about getting out on the ice yet, so please don’t go until you hear a few more reports of safe ice. I’ve been doing this for 30+ years now and have never gone through the ice. I use a heavy ice spud and test the ice ahead of where I will be walking.
Good Fishing,
Mike
Mike: Just remember Jake only weighs about a 100# soaking wet and you and I are in that 275# fully clothed category. Tread lightly. 
Made it down to the Wabasha Marina this morning and couldn’t mark a fish. No walkable ice down there or in the park to the SW. About 1.5″ of good clear ice and should be looking good soon. We came back and spudded around on KR-7.About 2.5″ of clear blue ice in most spots. We walked alot of the eastern side and even got to do a little fishing. 
. It was brutal with the wind.Some of the ice in the shallows is perfectly clear and is like a picture window.Marked a few but couldn’t interest anything with the waxies or plastic.Thats 0 for the day if your keeping track.We had a blast anyways. Good luck and don’t leave the house without the spud.
Winona ice report- Monday am
Guys on the ice at McNally’s…..not over the deep water hole in the back, but off the landing and towards the shoot.
Guys off the docks at MN city boat harbor…..I’d say walkable ice out there by tomorrow.
back end of Sam gordies should be good to go by tomorrow also.
I poked around Foster Arends today and found anywhere from 1-5 inches in a 100 foot span.I never really trust Foster Arends, even in mid-winter. It should be interesting to see how all that dumping of silt will affect fishing and maybe the ice. For what it’s worth, the water looked crystal clear under the ice.
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I poked around Foster Arends today and found anywhere from 1-5 inches in a 100 foot span.I never really trust Foster Arends, even in mid-winter. It should be interesting to see how all that dumping of silt will affect fishing and maybe the ice. For what it’s worth, the water looked crystal clear under the ice.
Yes, Foster’s is always a little touchy. There are springs in a couple areas that keep ice thin at those spots.
From what I’m hearing, most of the area lakes/puddles have ice, but the ice depth varies quite a bit. Being cautious when going out on ice is always recommended!
Good Fishing,
Mike
Winona area ice is holding up OK…..most of the backwater sloughs are still safely fishable…….checked airport on Tuesday and the ice looked ok, but nobody was out fishing.
Haven’t seen anyone out on either of the lakes yet
Fishing has been good for numbers of fish, but the only place consistantly kicking out solid keepers is “The Secret Spot”
I banged around on the west side of KR-7, right off the road. It took a little bit of hard chopping with my heavy frost bar to get through. It looked pretty good with some standing water. No water on the ice where I was standing. One guy fishing. Lucky.
I also went out about 100 yards at Willow Creek and was pretty satisfied with the quality of that also. It is a shame to see some of that great glass we had turned white and soft in spots. There are a few leg breakers right off that little sand point to the north of the fishing pier. There are smaller spots on the ice where people checked for ice thickness with spuds and some of the melting water widened them a bit. The amount of geese on the north side could be affecting any ice forming over there for a while. Have the geese always been so thick in there? I’m hoping to get out tomorrow evening for a little fishing and a show (Northern Lights) and take the daughter down to the river for some sunnies on Sat. morning. Good luck if you get out there this weekend and don’t forget the spud and the creepers. Your going to need them. 
Was at Chesterwoods tonight & I would NOT go on it again till it Gets cold again. The water on the ice really hurt it bad, Bummer 
Good Fishin & be safe about it please!!
Just scare those geese up in the air and as they fly north I’ll try and eliminate a few for you.
We found the ice in fair shape in the backwaters IF you stayed away from areas with current. The spot we fished today had about 6 inches of ice on average with 7 inches in a couple areas. The ice was still clear and hard.
The forecast is looking pretty good! Lows around 20 and highs barely above freezing. This should get the ice back into good shape!
Monday
Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
Monday Night
Clear. Lows near 15. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.
Wednesday
Partly sunny. Chance of rain or snow in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 30s. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow. Lows in the upper 20s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
Thursday
Partly sunny with a chance of rain and snow. Highs in the lower 30s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow. Lows in the lower 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
Friday
Partly sunny with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the upper 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy with a slight chance of snow. Lows in the lower 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
Saturday
Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s.
Mike how was the ice today for your expedition tot he ice…I ran into no less that 4-5 inches in a cut to a slough and that was the least otherwise upwards of close to 8 inches of ice according to the ice scoup….curious on what ya found…found lots of fish but had to really sort through them easily 100 plus fish with 1in4 or 1 in 5 being a keeper sizeice looks GREAT much better than I was expecting
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Mike how was the ice today for your expedition tot he ice…I ran into no less that 4-5 inches in a cut to a slough and that was the least otherwise upwards of close to 8 inches of ice according to the ice scoup….curious on what ya found…found lots of fish but had to really sort through them easily 100 plus fish with 1in4 or 1 in 5 being a keeper sizeice looks GREAT much better than I was expecting
I found very similar to what you said. The ice seems to be pretty good with only some slight deterioration at the edges. Lots of small fish with some nicer ones in the mix.
Good Fishing,
Mike
i saw the pics on your report Mike i though I saw ya from the parking lot was back further trying the deeper water…i saw you guys dropping the real weeds down as I was leaving. picking mine up this week hope you still have them in stock this week
Anyone have any reports from the area on ice thickness?
Thanks, Bill
I was on the Finger Lakes on Monday and the ice was like 4 inches and less. When I walked off the ice at noon the ice dropped and cracked on 1st Lake, sometimes known as Spring or Clear Lake for us older guys. I don’t like the forcast with rain etc. I will wait for some real cold weather to get things settled. 
The forecast for the next several days looks real good for making ice!
Christmas Day – Dec 25 – Hi: 31° Lo: 17°
Tuesday – Dec 26 – Hi: 30° Lo: 16°
Wednesday – Dec 27 – Hi: 29° Lo: 17°
Thursday – Dec 28 – Hi: 30° Lo: 14°
Friday – Dec 29 – Hi: 33° Lo: 15°
Saturday – Dec 30 – Hi: 32° Lo: 14°
Sunday – Dec 31 – Hi: 27° Lo: 16°
Monday – Jan 01 – Hi: 27° Lo: 18°
Tuesday – Jan 02 – Hi: 28° Lo: 20°
Good Fishing,
Mike
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