Area ice reports

[DaveSorensen]

Last year things weren't frozen on Vermilion until December 8th, then it froze quick. Thanks for the report Steve. I'd still recommend folks to have some ice picks when they go out!

[Steve Foss]

Last year things weren't frozen on Vermilion until December 8th, then it froze quick. Thanks for the report Steve. I'd still recommend folks to have some ice picks when they go out!

+1 on the picks!

I could easily have fished Birch today instead of just checking it out, had other tasks not interfered. Dec. 2 is early for my Birch fishing spots. Usually it's a week later.

Who's got a current Vermilion report? Is anything frozen now besides some of the bays?

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Drove out to the Pengilly area today for work. Swan Lake was basically wide open, some of the smaller lakes were locked and looked sketchy at best and some of the deep mine pits are wide open.

[shamrock7]

I will try to get out and check tomorrow.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I may get out Sat. morning with the Finnish Flash to check the Ice in this area and maybe even ice a few walleyes if I think the ice is safe enough in the area that I plan to check. I will post the results sometime Sat.

Cliff

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Randy and Cliff. I think we know that the huge majority of folks looking in on this thread are really interested in solid hands-on reports from Vermilion rather than other lakes in the area.

[Steve Foss]

NWS now forecasting -15 for tonight in Ely. WooooHoooo, if it's true. Finally, winter can start!

[Mike Stark]

NWS now forecasting -15 for tonight in Ely. WooooHoooo, if it's true. Finally, winter can start!

dang clouds rained on our parade. it needs to clear up one of these nights to get the cold cold temps they have been forecasting. only got down to 9 this morning.

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, I awoke expecting a deep freeze, and that 9 degrees was a shocker. Only 24 degrees off in their forecast.

[shamrock7]

There are large areas of darker ice (slush frozen over) that have up to 10" BUT, there are also areas that have snow sitting on the ice that have 1" of ice and then several inches of water then another 1-2 in of ice under that. A sure recipe for disaster. If you are going out, check the ice by foot before taking a machine of any kind on it and stay away from snowy areas. Be careful out there. Already had 1 ice rescue to many this season.

[SledNeck]

-10F by Hibbing

[Mike Stark]

-10F by Hibbing

clear skies?

[Jim Almquist]

We had -6 with mostly clear skies in Carlton

[Steve Foss]

Yikes! Thanks, Randy.

[Mike Stark]

checked the same small lake iv been checking for the past two weeks today. was planning on fishing but i did not find the ice i was hoping for. there was around 2in of black ice with 6in of wet slush ice on top. the slush ice was not completely frozen. people had fished the lake but im waiting for that slush ice to firm up. a few pike just arent worth it.

checked out burntside as well. it was all open water off the van vac landing. i didnt see any ice.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, for some reason that lake really likes to slush up more than other lakes its size. I'm told it's spring fed, which may have something to do with it.

I also postponed my plans for today for pike. Gonna give it a couple more days, since it's no fun to stand in slush. Looks like a great forecast this next week for making ice.

[Casey Sunsdahl]

couple guys on Vermilion fishing out of McKinley park... quite a ways out there...

[Mike Stark]

only if we would have gotten the cold temps they forecasted the last couple of nights. i might hit shag this weekend. it was looking pretty good yesterday.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I talked to a reliable source this evening at the McKinley Landing and he said that there was around 5" of decent ice as far out as 500 to 600 yards!

I will find out tomorrow morning for sure as I plan to go fishing!

Cliff

[Finnish Flash]

Shoveled myself into the storage shed..... my two rods and two tip ups ready to go!

[crawler harness]

About 15-20 vehicles down at the public access on Shag tonight, guys sprawled all around off of Sandy point.

[Mike Stark]

About 15-20 vehicles down at the public access on Shag tonight, guys sprawled all around off of Sandy point.

wow. must be the after 5 crew. i drove past there around 11am and no one was out. hopefully its all good ice out there.

[Down Deep]

The SLR is freezing up. Ice has been on a steady march across the Duluth Harbor all week. It made it to the Duluth shoreline today. No snow on it either. A couple of sub zero nights and it will time for some fishing off of Park Point.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Shoveled myself into the storage shed..... my two rods and two tip ups ready to go!

Good deal!

See ya in the morning!

Cliff

[DaveSorensen]

There were 5 vehicles down at Mckinley park, the reports I've heard are 5-7 inches of ice, although I don't know how far out anyone has gone, so use caution but it sounds like it is fishable now!

[VCCIceCrew]

Hey guys. We are a group a of college kids in Ely that love ice fishing. We went out to big bay today and checked some and there is about 4 to 5 inches 100 yards or so from shore and its looking pretty good. not much snow on top of the ice and the slush that was there has now frozen.

[Far-I]

Hey guys. We are a group a of college kids in Ely that love ice fishing. We went out to big bay today and checked some and there is about 4 to 5 inches 100 yards or so from shore and its looking pretty good. not much snow on top of the ice and the slush that was there has now frozen.

Welcome! How's VCC these days? I heard Shawn Bina was provost now. I always liked and respected him as an instructor. Thanks for the reports!

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Well, Darin and I made it out today!

5" to 6" of milky, but solid, ice out as far as we went!

Fished in 13 to 14 feet of water from around 8:00am to 11:30am.

We iced 4 walleyes and kept 3 nice ones that were 13-1/2" to 16".

Got all of them using the new Northland Moxi Minnow spoon ,(1-1/2" Gold Shiner), baited with a minnow head. We did not get even one flag on 3 tip-ups!

G

Good walking! Very little snow on the ice!

Looks like the ice season has begun!!

Cliff

[Mike Stark]

fished shagawa today. 4-6in of good clear ice. no fish and no marks. it didnt seem like anyone else was getting fish. a lot moving and drilling holes. i think im going to hit it again tomorrow for the evening bite. it was good to be out tho!

[shamrock7]

Did a little more checking out front here and there are a lot of areas that have the crust on top then an inch or 2 of water then a couple more inches of ice. I would be VERY careful if venturing out anywhere that YOU have not already checked.