The anglers that stayed out overnight did pretty good again.  After the couple of days of rain and with the little snow cover we received, I thought they might have changed the pattern they had earlier. But apparently not.  Pictures were also sent in from anglers of some nice-sized C/R Walleye at dusk hour.

Ice conditions remain the same. Ice thickness varies from 13″ to 16″, but most are averaging 14″ or so.  In Some areas in the “white ice,” there is evidence of “honeycombing” to some extent. Colder weather would help improve conditions, but there are not many “0” type temps in the forecast. And that is what it would need.

We will continue with ATV and SxS access for portables and rentals (we will shuttle gear); small wheelhouses capable of being pulled by ATV or SxS will be allowed, but no vehicles yet.  I want to see how the ice does for a couple of days first.

This winter has been a difficult one for many around the lake. Some had the advantage of early ice to help them out, but many did not.  Some areas of the lake had thicker ice than other area’s due to the last freeze up. I hope we all can finish out the season on a high note, and look forward to a better winter next year.

Keep a Tight Line!

Eddy

Overnight, the rain changed to snow and we received an inch of snowfall. The cooler temperatures have now frozen the water on top of the ice. I think most of it will be frozen solid by the end of the day. From what I can see with the camera it’s looking pretty good that way.

We went out first thing this morning and checked ice depths in numerous locations.  On average, we lost about 2″-2.5″ of ice during the last few day’s warm temps, along with the rain we received. That puts the ice in the areas we go to at 13″-16″ thick. Some spots, especially in the “white ice”  areas, showed evidence of “honeycombing” a few inches down that will refreeze but will not be as strong as it once was. That’s quite a change from a week ago.

Because of what we found, no vehicle traffic will be on the ice except for our small lake trucks.  Everything else will be ATV and small SxSs only out there, so bring a small trailer. Rental customers, we will shuttle gear out and back, but I want them to bring an ATV to have with them in case of an emergency.  The ONLY wheelhouses let out will be small (12ft and under) single axle houses pulled by ATVs.

Another freezing night and we will reopen parking area along the driveway. So there will be plenty of room for parking.  We were lucky the cold weather has returned somewhat or it would have been over in a few days.

Keep a Tight Line!

Eddy

After dark yesterday, it started raining and continued through the night.  I’m guessing we have received maybe a quarter to half an inch.  It will let up some and come back this afternoon before the winds switch and it starts turning colder.

We will recheck ice depths tomorrow morning, as we have lost some during this. We will be resetting stakes on the roads, and we hope to be open to some extent on Saturday. It all depends on how cold it gets and how much it freezes.

I hope to be able to rent our smaller light basic rentals over the weekend and shuttling customers’ gear (although ALL will be required to have an ATV to get to shore in case of an emergency). Portables with ATVs with a small trailer and walking anglers will be welcome, along with small (under 14ft) wheelhouses that can be pulled with an ATV.   I’m hoping we will have enough cold that our parking area along the driveway will freeze, so we won’t need to park back in our graveled storage lot. Just read the signs as you come down the driveway.  Call tomorrow if you have any questions. And I will post changes when we get back out there.

Other than that, the last 24 hours have been pretty nice if you’re a Duck…    😉

Keep a Tight Line!

Eddy