Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Recommended Posts

What are the ice conditons like on the lakes around Fergus Falls. Can a 4x4 truck still make it out there, does a guy need waders to stand on the ice, is this upcoming rain going to end the season? Hoped to make it out Sunday afternoon for one last chance. Thinking about Norway, Pleasant, Wall, Pebble, Anderson, Anna any info on these would be appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw trucks out on most lakes yesterday. I was hanging wood duck houses out on South Turtle with my 4 wheeler before the shore ice got bad. It was still ok to drive on for now. Lots of water on top of the ice. The little whirlpool holes are starting to form. Watch out for those, sometimes they can be big enough to swallow a car tire.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was out on Clitheral lake the ice is still good for driving. There was a few inches of water on the ice so WATERPROOF boots were needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

West Battle was water covered yesterday, but I think it was honey combed this morning. There was one spot that had 9" of water on top of the ice! I know, it went over my boots! frown.gif Still 3'+ thick ice and swirlies all over.
Clitherall, last night, was completely honey combed. Easy walking and still really thick ice. I saw several trucks driving all over last night.

I wouldn't recommend driving on any ice with this weather. I was nervous yesterday on an ATV just because I felt like I was driving on open water. You never know, it's been a strange ice season this year all over the state.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

bah. theres still 3 feet of ice almost all over. the top is honeycombed, but the ice on the bottom is fine. you should still be driving on the lakes until we get some rain. (that is if it ever rains- the weather man pushes it back a couple days every time i watch) i'd check on it after it rains though, that might put the kabosh on the ice pretty quick. i think we got about 4 or 5 days of driving, and still a month or more of walkin on the ice, unless we really get alotta rain.

just a guess, but its what happens every year, so i think i should be pretty close!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We drove on Clitherall and Ottertail today, but it is quad time for me now. Main ice is still pretty solid, but the shore ice is starting to draw back a bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw open water today on a couple small potholes! Geez, wasn't it just about a week ago it was like -10 and -30 wind chills???

The ice is still thick, it's the shorelines that are melting fast, primarily the north shorelines of lakes.

It's raining today. Spring is rolling in at top speed....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ice is still great was out on sunday and drove on numerous lakes all day over 38 inches so far. Top 2 inches was huneycomb due to the water on top of the ice soaking in but other than that there is 3 more feet of solid ice. i look to having another month of fishible ice. the way the extended forecast looks is that we are going to hold in the 30 for quite a while lows in the teens. that will sturdy things up. all is good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was out in Pelican Rapids area on Sunday morning. Still 3 feet of ice and ice was still in pretty good condition. Shore ice is getting a little weak so watch out getting on.

HOWEVER, 70 degrees and wind all day on Sunday and now today could have changed things.

Let's keep the reports posting daily so we can all can help others know ice conditions. Please someone give a report who goes out this week. I would like to go back out on Wed. but don't want to come out if I can't get on the ice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We will have walk-able ice for a while. The shorelines have melted away on a lot of the northern shores of lakes, and some require boards to walk on (or get wet) to get to the thick ice.

I think I saw a vehicle on the ice on W. Battle on Saturday. It was a good mile or two away from where I was, but I could swear it was a truck. I saw a vehicle on Clitherall over the weekend. I wouldn't drive a car/truck on any ice anymore.

As long as it doesn't rain a lot the ice should be fishable for some time. It's cooling down a bit this week, so that helps for us extend the season for us ice fisherman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a truck out on Rush yesterday. I couldn't believe it. The game warden was watching from the access by the bridge.

The ice was probably ok where he sat, but I would be really nervous around shore with a vehicle now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.