Safe ice this weekend?

This ones for more experienced fisherman that I. With the warm temps this week, will that erode the ice enough to make it unsafe to venture out this coming weekend?

It will be ok if you can get out on it.

X2 on that. It looks to be a year where the shorelines are going to rot out fairly quick. The ice will be ok for some time yet but going to be trouble getting on it.

I’m up in Hayward and expect to get out this weekend and next with no major troubles. Probably going my ATV this weekend, and next weekend will depend on shoreline condition, but I’m guessing walking will be okay.

I’m not sure about the southern part of the state, but I imagine the ice might deteroriate a little faster several hours south of me.

Looking forward to having open water for opener this year!

Tucker

Foot or ATV travel would be my choice around the metro. I have not saw any ice pulling from the shores around the metro yet but some of the smaller ponds are starting to get pretty darck already.

Thanks everyone. I’m looking at a 300 or so acre lake in the west metro. I’m hoping when I show up I’m not disappointed and can get out there.

I’ll be out in NW sconny. I cant imagine any issues this weekend or even next unless we get a bunch of rain and this warm streak continues.

The high tomorrow of around 70 with nothing but sun will do alot of damage to the ice…with no snow cover the shorelines will heat up quickly, thus melt the shoreline ice… be careful out there!

A few years back, we were pulling a permanent shack off the ice the first weekend of March. Weather was very similar to this. Shack broke through near shore. We measured the ice where it broke through and there was 16 inches of ice. When the ice goes bad, it goes fast. The sun this time of year does far more damage than the temp in my opinion. Use caution and carry the same safety gear you carry on first ice.

I’m putting my gear away for the season tonight.
It’s not worth the risk.
I have been very tempted but I’m not going to do it.

Belinda said “ice out on Calhoun tomorrow” and whatever Belinda says happens.

Just hang it up. No fish is even close to worth your life. Got out for the last time of the season on Devils tonight. The entire lake has close to an inch or more of water on top. Very soft ice.

40deg for a low last night here on mille lacs. All the water has been absorbed into the ice. There could be 3 more nights with lows above freezing before the weekend. To me, there isn’t even a question about ice fishing or NOT this weekend.

It’s safe until the first guy gets wet by the shorelines. Hopefully it isn’t me again.

puddlepounder wrote:

40deg for a low last night here on mille lacs. All the water has been absorbed into the ice. There could be 3 more nights with lows above freezing before the weekend. To me, there isn’t even a question about ice fishing or NOT this weekend.

Are you saying you think the ice on Mille Lacs is already unsafe?

I do think the that there will be fishable ice and my plan is to head out this weekend here in the twin cities area, but I strongly encourage anyone heading out to treat the ice now like you would early in the season, very cautiously.

Since I will not have a chance to check it out before I show up at the lake my plan is to be over-prepared.. I expect be walking out carrying ice pics and a spud bar checking for any soft spots… At least locally here I wouldn’t take an ATV out until after you’ve walked on the ice first and confirmed that it is safe. If you do take an ATV out there is absolutely no shame in wearing a PFD just in case you do find a soft spot. It also might be overkill but I will be putting a 50′ rope in my sled just to be safe.

That said from now until it’s gone is the best time of year for panfish… Good luck and be safe everyone!

Some are driving out still around me. I took the faithful Honda 200s atc out today pulling otter sled with gear. There were 8 trucks. When the sun hits the ice it has a heat wave look like hitting blacktop. Golf course is opening this weekend so options are open here lol!

When that ice turns rotten it’s more dangerous than early ice; early ice is more predictable, I think. That said, it’ll hold on a bit longer yet as it hasn’t pulled from shore yet. It’ll go quick, though.

Lybacks had a report this morning, indicating 30″ of ice. Not going to even debate whether it is ‘good’ ice, but he seemed to think there would be fishing well into next week.

I am planning on a last pike trip up there this weekend.

I walked out this morning on a lake up north. It was 30″+ with only the top 2″ being soft. I would guess it changed by the end of the day. I will be back out again tomorrow.

suzuki wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>puddlepounder wrote:</div>
40deg for a low last night here on mille lacs. All the water has been absorbed into the ice. There could be 3 more nights with lows above freezing before the weekend. To me, there isn’t even a question about ice fishing or NOT this weekend.

Are you saying you think the ice on Mille Lacs is already unsafe?

yes, there are areas on the lake that are going to be “unsafe”. I predict that somewhere on lake mille lacs this weekend, somebody is going to get wet. I hope that I am wrong. To each their own, I fish in my boat in heavy seas, by myself, when most other folks have left or are on their way in.
by the way, 46deg right now. It has been over 72 hours since we have been below freezing.

Will Roseberg wrote:

That said from now until it’s gone is the best time of year for panfish… Good luck and be safe everyone!

@MalmoMafioso
What is your advice for chasing panfish at the very tail end of ice out. I’ve always struggled the last week or two of ice fishing. Seems like once the water starts rushing into the lakes the fish make a major move. Would love to hear your late late ice panfish thoughts!

Everybody says this is the best time for panfish but that has never been the case for me. Dec has always been my best month (first few weeks of fishable ice) hands down. Maybe I just don’t have any good spring spots? I’ll bet I get some nice crappies this weekend though….

I will definitely be bringing a life jacket or cushion, for the walk on and off the ice, though.

I was able to make it out for a few hours yesterday afternoon in the West metro and the ice was actually in pretty good shape. It is starting to pull away from shore and a good pair of rubber boots are a plus but it was still for the most part very safe even for an ATV… However, you need to stay away from anywhere with emergent vegetation or shallow rocks as these areas are no longer safe for ATVs.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Will Roseberg wrote:</div>
That said from now until it’s gone is the best time of year for panfish… Good luck and be safe everyone!

@MalmoMafioso
What is your advice for chasing panfish at the very tail end of ice out. I’ve always struggled the last week or two of ice fishing. Seems like once the water starts rushing into the lakes the fish make a major move. Would love to hear your late late ice panfish thoughts!

My experience for late ice panfish is that it is feast or famine… The fish are in the process of moving from their wintering locations to the shallows and primarily will be found at intermediate depths (6-12′) along the edges of shallow bays and weed flats. They are typically schooled up pretty tight so you can spend hours punching holes with nothing to show for it then all of a sudden hit the motherload in a small area.

Bite windows are also key as fish are shallow and with less snow they can be very sensitive to light… You can spend hours not marking anything then watch as every hole has fish later in the day. During mid-day using a smaller 6″ auger can really help by letting less light into the hole or even using a small flip over to sight fish and keep light out can be key.

One other trick that I love this time of year when fishing shallow is to use a tip down with the minnow no more then 6-12″ under the ice.. Often with the melt water being oxygen rich you will find fish swimming only inches under the ice and tip downs or extremely long rods to stay far back from the holes are the only way to chase them.

All of the extra work is worth it though once you find the school and figure out what they want because now is your best chance to really put a true giant on the ice!

We still have some vehicle traffic on Leech Lake over the past couple days. I will be shutting down our access after tonight to only ATV and Foot Traffic. Be careful around the cracks and pressure ridges they opened up these past couple of days and we had a couple vehicles go through the ice at these cracks. Be careful out there, Get those picks handy.

4 people found out in Rochester today that Foster’s ice is no longer safe. At least one was an adult and there were kids involved. They got out of the water ok thanks to people with long branches.

I went off of Garrison yesterday. The landing is in pretty good shape yet, even surprised the DNR warden that I talked to. The bays to the south, though, had more issues along the shoreline.

There was about 32″ of honeycombed ice, and around 6 vehicles on the bay yesterday. Action wasn’t great – 3 small pike, and one 26″ unwanted guest….

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