And so it begins!

Just a little report for you guys down river from me….
I stopped off this morning at about 8. I saw a coyote trotting up the frozen river. I made a feeble attempt to walk across the river to get into a clump of down trees and called for about 15 minuets. No success. Meanwhile, the river was making some strange noises.
I ran some errands and came back about 4 1/2 hours later. Running water over the edges of the ice on both sides.

Stopped back about another 4 hours later with my daughter and the ice had lifted about 3 feet and obvious signs of deterioration. We took a scenic route home and every drainage ditch that runs to the river was over flowing back into the fields. Heck of a lot of water is on its way down. We haven’t even begun to get anything from up in the Horicon Marsh or Sinnissippi yet.
Would be nice to get nights in the teens for awhile to work as a damper. Regardless, its heading your way!

Yes the river is on the rise for sure. Fields around the area are also flooded. Creeks and ditches are over bank. Sure hope that it’s a slow melt up north. If not and we get rain she’s going way up. I just hope no where near last springs levels. It’s still going to be a while to clear the ice as much as there is. Until then I’ll be on the ice!

I drove up to Ft. Atkinson and the river had very little open water along the edges and socked in to the lake. I’m watching the river gauges and they have started to level off for now. Jefferson dam gauge rose the most up 3′ since March 9th. Fort gauge is damaged–up 2′, Newville and Kosh both up 1′. I saw trucks on the lake fishing 1/2 mile west of Blackhawk Isl. today. I don’t expect to be fishing the river by April 1st.

Quote:

---

I don’t expect to be fishing the river by April 1st.

---

April 1, oh yeah, that reminds me it’s time for a new fishing license. Extended forecast looks like a mild winter. It might be May 1 before the ice is out on the lake.