Weather & Ice

I found 5-8″ in crosslake, but it is super spongey ice.

I seen 48 degrees on Christmas day. Thats crazy.

JEREMY wrote:

I seen 48 degrees on Christmas day. Thats crazy.

And potentially more rain too. Definitely aint gonna be cold enough to be snow if any moisture falls at those temps.

I heard on the radio yesterday that this is already the warmest December on record in the state of MN. The entire state is running 10-15 degrees warmer than average. It would take a massive change in weather patterns to change that in the final 12 days this month.

NOAA is reporting a stagnant warm pattern all the way through the middle of January.

Gotta wonder if this can possibly go on all winter?

Reminds me of 2012 if my memory is correct. Fishing in the boat on the river most of the winter and camping on the upper Croix in March with pretty much normal summer river levels because of so little snow.

Alagnak1 wrote:

Reminds me of 2012 if my memory is correct. Fishing in the boat on the river most of the winter and camping on the upper Croix in March with pretty much normal summer river levels because of so little snow.

Also 2017 – we had the local ice contest the 2nd to last weekend in Feb and i wore a t shirt as it was pushing 70. The next weekend I was on pool 3 closing out the inland walleye season.

Fake winter looks to continue into January

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This is just getting depressing. Im going to have to continue driving 2hrs north in the hopes of finding ice on backwaters or small ponds. Starting to think about getting an old small tiller boat just for this type of season, dont want to get the bigger boat out

I mean it doesnt say how high above average. Could just be a few degrees.

Here along Pool 4 I’m seeing predicted temps of:

Saturday: 50 degrees
Sunday: 51 degrees
Monday: 45 degrees
Tuesday: 42 degrees

We are also slated to receive close to an inch of rain over that span.

I’m going to end up mowing my lawn in January. No lie. It is greener now than in November and is legitimately growing.

Was able to get out on the ice in front of cabin up by Cumberland WI this past weekend. We had 4 – 5 inches. But much of the lake was still open water. Also went to the St Croix and casted for muskies last night. There were guys ice fishing out past the open water a few days ago. Its looking like it could be a bad season for ice. Just hope we don’t get a big snow before it gets real cold for a good week first.

bzzsaw wrote:

Just hope we don’t get a big snow before it gets real cold for a good week first.

We may not even get a “big snow” or a week of real cold at this rate.

bzzsaw wrote:

Also went to the St Croix and casted for muskies last night.

Doesn’t that season close end of November?? I don’t give 2 sh!ts just trying to help you not get a ticket

tswoboda wrote:

Doesn’t that season close end of November??

Inland MN waters closes Dec 1. I am pretty sure the Croix remains open beyond that being a border water.

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bzzsaw wrote:</div>
Also went to the St Croix and casted for <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>muskies last night.

Doesn’t that season close end of November?? I don’t give 2 sh!ts just trying to help you not get a ticket

No worries. I thought it did too but checked before I went down there.

The open season for muskellunge begins the Saturday nearest to Memorial Day in the “Northern Zone” and the First Saturday in May in the “Southern Zone.” The season ends in both the Northern and Southern zones on December 31st (on open water only).
Fishing for Musky | Fishing Wisconsin | Wisconsin DNR
dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/musky/muskywaters_fishing.html
dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/musky/muskywaters_fishing.html

I just checked again and the St Croix and Mississippi are listed as border water exceptions and they close on Nov 30th. Guess I won’t be doing that again this year.

bzzsaw wrote:

I just checked again and the St Croix and Mississippi are listed as border water exceptions and they close on Nov 30th. Guess I won’t be doing that again this year.

Whoops!

“Pike Fishing”

The fact that IA and MN have no snow results in the air temps reaching higher numbers. When IA and/or southern MN have snow … it depresses how high the metro temps can get.

I suppose we will flip a switch and go from 40s to -20s for highs sometime in January and it will extend out for weeks… Brutal when you are a guy that prefers to ice fish “open air”.

I’m kinda glad this weather is keeping the permanent houses and wheelhouses off my uncles cabin lake. Give the crappies a rest until I can get up there with the portables. I’m in no hurry though, there’s always February

I’m not complaining. The weather is warm and it’s giving the fish a break by keeping most people off the ice. That’s easy for me to say because we have plenty of fishable ice. I’d be going a little nutty if I didn’t.

The lake I live on has 8 inches of solid ice. 2.5 hours south, the lake my bro lives on is wide open. Weird year.

Forecast is looking way better after christmas. Hopefully that doesnt change to warmer

I started putting my muskie tackle in the boat last night. Then checked the reg and pulled it back out.

That reg bugs me, this would be a good time to fish Tigers. Catching would be easier on the fish than when the water is near 80.

tim hurley wrote:

That reg bugs me, this would be a good time to fish Tigers. Catching would be easier on the fish than when the water is near 80.

Mortality wise, yes.

Normally there’s obviously ice so I’m not really sure how you would target one. Pike fishing with a tip up and hope for a muskie?

It’s been a great winter. Hardest part is pulling my sled across my lawn and through the sand on my shoreline. No sleds, 4 wheelers or other people for that matter. Fishing has been great with 8 inches of hard ice. Now with 2 days of warm rain, it won’t be safe until we get some cold weather for a few days. Previous drilled holes are 2 feet in diameter from water running down them.

what a weird winter – and the long range temps forecast is still “above average”… just doesn’t feel like winter without snow, ice and cold. tough year to be a snowmobile or wheelhouse owner.

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Flew a kite with the girls in a sweatshirt today, then planted 3 pine trees to “remember the year we planted trees on Christmas Day”

I think I had 56 degrees when I jumped in the truck to move some trailers before supper time. Crazy.

You might be mowing your lawn when the sun comes out Bucky!

All the lakes by me people were ice fishing are wide open again. Just crazy.