Upper Mississippi Backwater Ice Conditions

Was looking for updates on ice conditions in the upper Mississippi. Usually ice fish pools 8-11. I know there probably isn’t much for ice, but if and when there is, any updates would be appreciated.

Will let you know when we get some Steve.

Essentially 0 ice on Pools 4 and 5.

Another week and there will be foot traffic on most of the community spots.

No one in the bay port marina when I went by with the boat today . Skim ice.

Was in PdC yesterday. No ice anywhere not even around the city docks.

late ice this year will be EPIC.

Drove from wabasha to Winona today . 3 spots with fishable ice . Looked like tight quarters . I counted 19 people at one landing the size of a football field or smaller . I think I’ll pass .

Checked out the 10 day forecast for around Dubuque, Iowa, and around the middle of next week, highs drop to the teens and single digits. Ice should start getting good.

As of yesterday no safe ice at Stoddard or Blackhawk and they have the gate closed at Goose Island so U can’t even get back to the back. Just an important side note. The pool 8 water has been dropped and in some places when I spud from shore there is 6-12 inches of air below the ice before U get to water. So that will never form right !!!!

Fished some back waters on pool 4 yesterday in my boat.

Making my maiden voyage to Bussey Lake on Pool 10 this weekend. With the weather I figure there has to be ice. Anyone get out yet?

On pool 5 tonight . Measured 7 inches BUT there are spots with slush on top (don’t ask me how that’s possible either ) with 3 -4 under them . The ice is crazy looking , some nice black clear ice but it’s all patchy with this brown slushy snow ice . I would step through the brown stuff and there was 3-4 inches under it . Enough to freak me out.

Anyone been out after this rain and tropical heat wave? Mother Mature is a mad scientist this year.

Out yesterday . Still 9-10 inches . Be out tomorrow .

I drove by some water with ice on it today that had lots of liquid on it. What ice there was, was green.

I was out on pool 7 backwaters the last couple days. There was maybe 4-5” but it was deteriorating rapidly.

I saw some brave souls out on the main Minnesota River channel ice yesterday from the Mendota bridge…didn’t look like they had fishing gear.

Update, a buddy texted that yesterday three guys fell through at a local pool 7 backwater lake. (Third Lake)

I was out yesterday pool 5-6 . Stay off the current and you’re fine . Still 8 plus where I was. Edges had a lot of water on them .

Just drove across I90 to lacrosse. Had to be 70 people on the ice.

Dogs crossed the Mississippi in Cohasset yesterday. I told the buddy if they go through, I’m not saving them.

Had 11” or so on Pool 4 today (not Frontenac), but found a spot with 4.5” as well in the short 3 hours I was out total.

Caught 5 walleyes and 2 saugers…biggest was 19 with a few more legals and the rest were dinks. Nothing crazy but worth the time to sneak out.

There’s going to be fishable ice and spots that are probably wide open, all in the same general areas by the end of next week. Shoreline seemed softer, but not completely gone. It will be interesting to see what holds and what doesn’t with a week of high 40s and legitimate sun coming

Was out on pool 10 today by PDC and had 9-10″.There was a fair amount of water on top in spots,shorelines were good.I thought the ice was decent considering the weather.Brought home 7 nice perch lost 4 good ones and tossed back 8 or ten smaller stuff.

Went out on a local lake here in Iowa this weekend. Last week there was 8-10” of solid clear ice. This weekend, it was 4.5-5” and black, dull, and pitted. Drilled a hole and the shavings from the auger looked like ice chunks from a snow cone. Fished all day and caught three little walleye, but leaving that afternoon to watch football, the ice along the shores was rotten and my foot went through. I guess be careful out there and if there are any ice reports, please throw them up here. Looks like early ice and late ice happened the same week this year.