Area ice reports

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Checked the ice every 200 yards from McKinley Park Landing to Birch Island this morning and had consistent 8" to 9-1/2" of ice.

Put out my 3 rental houses today using my ATV.

Cliff

[Steve Foss]

Checked the ice every 200 yards from McKinley Park Landing to Birch Island this morning and had consistent 8" to 9-1/2" of ice.

Put out my 3 rental houses today using my ATV.

Cliff

Game on, Cliff!

I expect to be snowmobiling on Shagawa by this weekend.

[Finnish Flash]

Great news, should be a lot thicker after this coming weekend. Brrrrr!

[JerkinLips]

Thanks for the ice update, Cliff. I'm planning on taking the snowmobile out from McKinley Park tomorrow morning, but will wait until daylight, wear my life jacket, and bring ice picks just to be safe.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Was out on Swan Lake (near Pengilly) tonight. Still learning the lake, and really have no clue where to go, so I just went off from the boat launch towards some perms that were out there.

There was about 3 inches of solid, black ice with about 4 inches of milky ice on top. No snow/slush so that was good to see.

Fishing was dead! Nada, Zip, Zilch!

Anyone else have any luck out there or care to share some advise?

[Mike Stark]

fished a small lake outside ely. found 7in of good ice everywhere. got a couple eyes too! the two bigger fish came off tip ups. we got most of our action on tip-ups and deadsticking.

[Bandit155]

Cliff,

Thanks for the ice report. I shouldn't have any problem pulling my portable out since I've got the tracks on my wheeler now.

[BayView_Lodge]

I thought all looked good out there but this morning after the snow I saw a big dark circle of slush develop about 75 yards out in front of the resort. makes me wonder what its like out in the middle of big bay.

[walleyemaster08]

Think we will be able to fish some of the small lakes tonight.

[side_laker]

I am thinking about heading up to either Birch or virmillion tomorrow. any thoughts on where would be better. I would love to be able to pull portable house out with atv. any thoughts if that would work or would it be better to use snowmobile. is there enough ice to get out on with either yet. any help would be great. I am in need of some fishing bad.

[Steve Foss]

There have been sleds and ATVs on both Birch and Vermilion, but you're right on the edge of whether it's safe or not. I'd say if you strike off on your own rather than following others' tracks, you'd best be very careful and test the ice a lot.

There are thin spots scattered here and there in what otherwise is some solid ice.

[side_laker]

Steve

if I went to vermillion how far out would you say to walk to get a couple eyes. Thinking about going out of tower end

[shamrock7]

You should have some company out in the McKinley Park area

[Steve Foss]

Side_laker, not sure how far they're walking out off McKinley to find the eyes, but like shamrock said, you'll see how far out folks are, or maybe someone has mentioned where they're catching them in the fishing report thread stickied to the top of this board.

[Mike Stark]

fished shag tonight off sandy point. i had 6.5in of ice where i was fishing. caught 3 eyes. 2 on tip ups and one on a jig and minnow. missed two other fish on tip ups. it was a light bite. the walleye didnt run at all with the bait on the tip up. 13-19fow. there is around 5in of snow on top of the ice with some drifts out there. made pulling a sled by hand much harder.

[BayView_Lodge]

Well not that I'm endorsing the lake but I just had a guy in the bar who rode from pike bay to the Vermilion Club and then to here... All he had to say is there is a pressure ridge forming between comet and moose island. He's said he's gonna ride the whole lake tomorrow.

[Steve Foss]

He's said he's gonna ride the whole lake tomorrow.

Hope you gave him one on the house, Eric. Sort of the bartender's equivalent of the condemned man's hearty meal.

[Steve Foss]

Well, I've got a date Sunday with some pike, but after that I reckon it's Shag on the sled for 'eyes.

[Mike Stark]

there was one snowmobile out there. he was broke down tho!

[Great Outdoors]

I heard that a snowmobile has taken up temporary residence on the bottom of Big Lake the other day.

[shamrock7]

Kinda surprised that you didn't have any of those earlier. This cold that is coming should set things up real nice for the winter. Hope you guys have a good season.

[JerkinLips]

Just got back from two days fishing on Vermilion (wife made me come home a day early because of the big storm that is suppose to hit the cities; better snow big time here or I'll divorce her - she threatened to divorce me if I didn't come home tonight). Rode the snowmobile from Stuntz Bay to Everett Bay; found a few small spots of slush. Fished out from McKinley Park (9" of ice); caught 8 eyes in the 2 days. Biggest was 22", rest were 14-16.75" except for one 12".

[delcecchi]

We have a rare Blizzard warning on the heels of a winter storm warning here in Rochester and the radar is showing a mess up to near Duluth. So it does seem to be tracking a little south of what they said yesterday but it looks plenty bad. I wouldn't want to be on I35 with 6 inches of new snow over a little freezing drizzle and sleet with the wind blowing 25 mph and the temp around zero.

But I have gotten chicken in my old age.

[Jim Almquist]

But I have gotten chicken in my old age.

I believe they call that getting smarter and wiser

[Steve Foss]

After the next few days, with lows -20 to -30, highs in the zero or below zero range and wind (if the NWS is right), we'll be tightly locked up and deepening quickly.

[shamrock7]

Yeah, then we can ease up on the "thin ice" warnings and start warning them of all the huge pressure ridges that will be popping up all over. Can't win.... But I will take pressure ridges over thin ice any day.

[Steve Foss]

Same stuff, different year my friend.

[delcecchi]

Looks like JerkinLips wife made a good call based on looking out my window.

[Mike Stark]

fished shag again tonight. only iced one nice eater. lost another nice eater at the hole. 22fow. one perm out on sandy point. someone was driving a small truck out on the ice. i only had 6.5in of ice where i was fishing.

[Raider4ever]

someone was driving a small truck out on the ice. i only had 6.5in of ice where i was fishing.

Some people think it's their God-Given right to be stupid. Hopefully Darwinism will take care of that guy somewhere down the line.