first ice

[yukon]

Was out deer hunting and found a pond frozen over, tried the ice but went through. It won't be long know.

[finnbay]

Some ponds freezing over. Johnson Lake had skim ice, and I repeat JUST skim ice over the top this evening. One of the first to freeze in the fall, the next few cold evenings should start to add some thickness.

[Steve Foss]

Ed Shave up the Echo was completely frozen over this morning. It'll break up again a time or two, but pretty soon now . . .

[JustinG]

Some guy was out fishing this afternoon on Shagawa in a boat! That had to be cold out there!!!! Man, I thought I was the only one crazy enough to try something like that!

Boat got put away for the season on Friday. The ice gear is now getting spit-shined.

Justin

[Northlander]

Seen a guy out on the St. Louis Bay today. Winds off the lake had to have made that a real cold day. He was out for at least 4 hours from what I could tel. BRRRR.

[Catfishunter]

I fished the shore for a while today (wasn't that bad), it's only going to get colder.

[kingkidfisher4431]

If you can walk to the back bays that are adequately shaded during the days up here in ely... ive been finding skim ice to up to a half inch, but deeper lakes are still mostly open, and smaller lakes and ponds are the only ones doing this.

[Kallista]

Hey King Kid..

Do you know since they closed down the road, how to get on the trail to get to the old dam on Fall Lake? The DNR told me but i cant seem to find the path to get down that way..It's off fernburg i guess?

[Jackpine Rob]

They moved the trail/portage to the other side of the flowage. You go over the Garden Lake Bridge, up the hill and take the first left to the Kawishiwi Falls hiking trail.

The new portage, which hits Fall Lake at the sand beach opposite the Power Dam, looks like a pain the posterior compared to the traditional route.

[Steve Foss]

If I have this right, you also can't fish from the Winton side of the dam unless you park where the gate has been put across the power dam road and walk all the way in.

Now, taking the way Jackpine Rob describes, you get to the shore below the Kawishiwi Falls, which is within sight of the dam but on a different branch of the flowage. You can sure fish below the falls, and there's lots of current like below the dam, but you can't get to the dam portion from the Falls portage unless you have a canoe.

I liked being able to drive right up to the dam and walk down a short ways and fish from shore below the dam. Lots of nice 'eyes came out of there.

Someone help me out if I've got this wrong, but I've been all over that area since they put in the hiking trail to the Falls and can't figure it out any differently.