When will the ice come?

We’ve already had our first snow, and last year, our safe ice came around late November. Here in Fargo, it’s been close to freezing (or below freezing) every night. This fall, we’ve had some unseasonably cold weather so far so I’m guessing we’ll have 3-4 inches by mid November in smaller lakes and ponds, or even earlier, looking at the forecast next week. The lows will be in the low 20’s, with highs in the mid 30’s. We could even get some ice in early November if this weather continues! The rivers are still flooded, so they’ll have trouble icing over if they don’t go down quickly. Hopefully we don’t get too much more precipitation, since that will make for a tough ice fishing season if the ice gets all slushy. What are all your predictions?

Water temps are still in the high 40’s-low 50’s here. It is going to be sometime time before it comes. I would say the forecast kind of shows it sooner than later maybe 3-4 weeks is my hope.

tucrs wrote:

Water temps are still in the high 40’s-low 50’s here. It is going to be sometime time before it comes. I would say the forecast kind of shows it sooner than later maybe 3-4 weeks is my hope.

Water temps have been in the high 30’s around eastern ND

Safe walking ice by thanksgiving just like every other year. I’m in no rush though, have deer tags to fill and many more pheasants to knock down

If you have the itch do some scouting, mark some waypoints. Half an hour with side imaging covers more than hundreds of holes-and hour with any depthfinder would do the same. Vertical jig, put on your ice gear-be glad for what nature is givin’
My 2 pennies.

I need the puddles to freeze so I can drive my ATV over them by deer opener.

As long as URL has safe ice by Thanksgiving I’m happy. If not, I’m SOL

I’m thinking Thanksgiving weekend.

moustachesteve wrote:

As long as URL has safe ice by Thanksgiving I’m happy. If not, I’m SOL

Do you have a trip booked then?

Most every year at Mille Lacs both Isle and Wahkon bays are ready for foot traffic and light atv’s by Thanksgiving. That’s when it begins.

Mid December

We have been able to get out during deer season the last few years. Two of the years were second weekend.

Devils Lake last Friday was 44 degrees yet.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Do you have a trip booked then?

Yes. Should be safe but you never know. 2 years ago a couple people went under that weekend. I’m just sick of going in February every year and the fish are so lethargic.

I say I’m SOL if there’s no ice by then because I start class on December 3rd and it’s 2X per week plus every Saturday through May. Really going to put a damper on my ice fishing season

I’m expecting ice about, ohhhh, let’s say 5:05 pm this evening.

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I’m ready for spring already Can we just skip,winter this year please

Hopefully it shows up about April 1st for a day, then go back from where it came.

Hope it’s here soon. Cleaning out the garage and fired up the auger love some ice in Nov. to fish.

hoping early this year as well as I got a new to be perm shack!!

6″ icicles on the river bank timber where I was earlier, most depressing thing ever

I have never seen this much ice on area lakes/ponds as I did this morning….In October……I assume it may all be gone this afternoon with a lot of sunshine….Backwaters fully frozen and 100 acre lakes frozen 1/3 of the way….

I had ice in my guides this morning and that’s all I need for this winter.

Update: My little pond in the backyard has half an inch of ice. It sounds like I’m the only one here exited for winter…

Here are some charts that somebody on IDO showed me last year that you guys might find interesting

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There’s also one for a day and a month but I can’t get them to load for some reason

I saw some skim ice on a pond this morning…probably all melted by now.

This morning marked the 4th morning with ice on a backyard pond at the in-laws near the Lake City MN area. For those who ice fish the river, unfortunately the river is still at flood stage below Red Wing. On Pool 4 water is still racing through wooded areas where it’s generally dry for 7 or 8 months of the year. Cold is only one factor needed for river and backwater ice. The other two (calm winds and average flow) have not been there this Fall. Despite this early cold swing, I’d anticipate an average ice-up date for anything related to the river.

I just saw pictures on Facebook of guys ice fishing in ND today.

Ahren Wagner wrote:

Update: My little pond in the backyard has half an inch of ice. It sounds like I’m the only one here exited for winter…

Where are you going for the winter? I thought you wanted ice. lol

I was in Lake City fishing this morning and found water at 46 degrees in one spot and 47 at another. Both temps were taken at 6 feet of depth. Sunfish would play a little on a glow red jigging Demon but crappies were not to be very anxious to hit. I stuck a big ol buffalo while jigging a 1/16 Z Viber at about six feet. The fish hit is as it was mouth hooked. 12-15 pounds and thankfully it broke the line before I had to lay in gull crap to land the thing.

I saw a lot of northern ducks beating ther butts south this morning and saw several rafts of divers resting on the lake….looked like Bluebills. There was a pair of Loons and a few White Pelicans hanging around too until it got to be full light then they headed south. Very noticeable lack of forage fry in the water today. I’m guessing that if we get any snow with this colder air and dropping water temps the plastic bit will be about kaput without downsizing and I think having waxies or spikes may be in order too. Or goldenrod grubs….absolute sunfish candy.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

I stuck a big ol buffalo while jigging a 1/16 Z Viber at about six feet. The fish hit is as it was mouth hooked. 12-15 pounds and thankfully it broke the line before I had to lay in gull crap to land the thing.

Buffalo fight so hard when you mouth hook them, it’s insane

Tom Sawvell wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ahren Wagner wrote:</div>
Update: My little pond in the backyard has half an inch of ice. It sounds like I’m the only one here exited for winter…

Where are you going for the winter? I thought you wanted ice. lol

I was in Lake City fishing this morning and found water at 46 degrees in one spot and 47 at another. Both temps were taken at 6 feet of depth. Sunfish would play a little on a glow red jigging Demon but crappies were not to be very anxious to hit. I stuck a big ol buffalo while jigging a 1/16 Z Viber at about six feet. The fish hit is as it was mouth hooked. 12-15 pounds and thankfully it broke the line before I had to lay in gull crap to land the thing.

I saw a lot of northern ducks beating ther butts south this morning and saw several rafts of divers resting on the lake….looked like Bluebills. There was a pair of Loons and a few White Pelicans hanging around too until it got to be full light then they headed south. Very noticeable lack of forage fry in the water today. I’m guessing that if we get any snow with this colder air and dropping water temps the plastic bit will be about kaput without downsizing and I think having waxies or spikes may be in order too. Or goldenrod grubs….absolute sunfish candy.

Spikes have been outfishing minnows 3-1 for crappies and perch for the last week in spots I’ve been to prepping for early ice in the backwaters. There have been some crappies hugging the pilings but not many of size have shown their faces yet. If you can get out on the river in flooded bays near the channel, the perch bite should be lights out once you find them. Reports on the upper end of P4 are showing some real nice sauger and walleye results over the past week. This should only continue as water clarity improves.

Despite the hype of the thermometer in late October with this cold spell, I’m not holding my breath for anything other than an average first ice date for most places near the Mississippi River. If we can stay completely dry for another 2 weeks without any significant precipitation and the flow drops, I may reconsider. I am predicting I will be on the ice the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend on the Pool 4 backwaters…as is the case most years.

However, Northern MN may be a completely different animal. If wind stays down and you get a few consecutive days with temps not reaching above freezing and a bit of cloud cover, ice can build quickly. URL and areas could steal an extra weekend of early ice if this keeps up. My buddies are all nervous about ice for an outing on LOTW on December 12th. After sending them a few skim ice pictures from bays on LOTW well before Halloween, they have relaxed. I was hoping to be out on “safe ice”, but not “highway and thousands of wheelhouses safe ice” for our trip. Only time will tell.