Wissota Ice Status

The main lake is still mainly covered with ice, but there are nice open spots west of the S bridge and from the state park landing east.

I’m there there are other spots open as well, but these are the two areas I checked this morning.

If you have the itch to get the boat wet, it’s go time.

Sully

Great update. Thanks!

Care to go for some early season slabs this week?

Did I hear someone mention Wissota slaps? Someone from the west would be willing to help out with that problem.

Remember 2 years ago? We still had another month of ice cover to go.

Mark….could you do a weekday trip? I have a green light for Wednesday.

Let me check with the boss

I could actually be convinced to fish either Wissota or P4.

Wissota… The slabs have to be in the same place they were in 06 when the ice went early

What are you doing on Wednesday, big fella?

Open water on Wissota in March! You can bet on seeing me and a bucket full of crappie minnows. Better get two scoops!

I think we are on Jason

… Mark …Whitetip…Sully

Send me an e-mail and let me know if I’m making the short drive north or the longer drive west.

If you know where the slabs are, let’s stay close to home.

they should be hovering over the first sunken boat you found last year and I know that water is open as long as we do not get any wink blowen inc in there

I intend to be out there Thursday.
—
John

Quote:

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Send me an e-mail and let me know if I’m making the short drive north or the longer drive west.

If you know where the slabs are, let’s stay close to home.

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Jason, we have an open seat in my boat for P4 on Wed….

I’m feeling the irresistible pull of old man river, or as 2Ks would say, the dead sea.

What time are you heading down, Mike?

Dead sea… Funny, that’s about how I’ve felt about it, too…

Trying my best to change that, though.

Heading down bright (ok, dark) and early. Probably leave EC around 4:45. I don’t think Joe or I have any afternoon obligations. I think we are planning a full day on the water.

Mike

My morning is booked locally, but plan to hit the water between 1 and 2, then stay until dusk and have dinner in RW before trekking back here.

I can’t speak for Joe, but I don’t think I have much going on in the afternoon that I need to get home for and don’t see why we couldn’t pick you up at at Everts or RW whenever you get there.

Shoot me an email if you want to do that. I’ll check with Joe and see how much time away from the warden he has in the afternoon — although if he has to be home we can always drop him off whenever he needs to leave… I think he’s planning on a full day, though.

Mike

Thinking of heading out friday. Where is the best launching spot right now (by S or way up river?? Maybe it won’t matter by then with this heat wave

I would use one of the river landings and go from there as far as the Ice goes I think it is going to take wind or rain for it to go out before the weekend

One of the photos I posted was from the S bridge landing. That landing is ice free and being used daily.

Last night I did some scouting. I used the state park landing. I didn’t find the fish, but it was a nice night to be out.

I was reading 53 degrees which seems too high to me.

The Anson landing east of Camp Kenwood is also ice free and being used.

There is much more debris than normal, so be careful out there.

Sully

Thanks for the report Sully!

A good part of the big lakes north side is now open. As far as I could tell you should be able to take a boat from the Chippewa Rive all the way over to the Yellow River. It also looked like the small lake was ready to fully open in the next few days.

When I drove over the S bridge this morning, I couldn’t see a single ice cube.

Kevin, is the Rod and Gun club landing ice free?

Sully

I will know by 4pm but as far as I know the big lake is ice free as of midnight this morn if that is true I will be cashing a check from the Dam People ice out contest

What happened to the crappie fishing. Did anyone actually go out? I’ve been watching for a report.

Sully, time to switch to your summer avatar. It’s warm enough to take your winter coat off.

Dave

Don’t listen to em Sully, ice ice baby….

Big Pike if you want ice now your going to need to open the freezer or head wayyyyyy north! Wissota is wide open,Rod & Gun has its docks in. Water temps hovering about 40 deg on main lake & you can add 10deg+ in tributaries. Didnt get a chance to fish much as it was more of a scouting mission with a friend in his boat & I was limited for time on the water.As far as a fishing report goes I will need to keep that in mind for possibly another outing,in my boat. Hopefully soon ! Best of luck fishing all.

Does anyone know where the “year-round” fishing opportunities are in the area? (besides panfish, etc….) I heard someone talking about wanting to go walleye fishing on the Chippewa river above Wissota last week, but I don’t recall that area being open to walleye fishing until the opener (although I could be wrong, I haven’t looked at the regs). Are any of the other rivers open year-round? – EC below the Altoona dam, other parts of the EC/Chippewa, etc??? Or is the Mississippi and/or Petenwell about the closest “year-round” options to EC?

I’ll have to check the regs, but next time I talk to that person I’d like give him the correct info…

Thanks,
Mike

Check the regs, but previously it was only the Chippewa River below the Eau Claire dam being open year-round.