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Ice fishing the opener???


BobT

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WIth the opener in May just 5 weeks away, about 3' of ice on the local lakes, about a foot of new white snow on top, no reported open lakes yet shown on the DNR ice out map, and the forecast showing below freezing temps for the rest of this week it is looking pretty likely that we could still have a lot of ice on the lakes for the opener even around here. I usually go to Vermilion for the opener but I highly doubt that will work this year. Maybe this is the year we break the old record since May 14, 1950?

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If I recall correctly, next week will be in the 50's with thunderstorms.  This type of weather will knock a lot of ice off the lakes.  The sun angle is higher in the sky and that too will work fast.

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It’s possible but not really likely. Yes we will be making ice this week but next week with temps in the 50s it doesn’t take long then. Even if we did still have ice around it probably wouldn’t even be safe to fish. Its like that time like in the fall when there’s to much ice to get the boat though but not enough to “safely” ice fish. Lake Superior is ice free so I’m not even remotely worried if there’s to much ice the salmon bite will be banging around opener so no big deal to me.

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I remember 3 years ago when we were dodging icebergs in Big Bay on the opener Saturday! We could only get out as far as Birch Island from Pike Bay area!

I saw a boat with 3 or 4 guys in it pulled up to the main ice flow and the guys sitting on the ice in lawn chairs!:lol:

Cliff

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Hey cliff do you think vermilion will be fishable on opener this year in the boat?

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I think there will at least be some open water to fish!

Sure hope so anyway! I am going stir crazy!!

Cliff

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I don't think 50 degree temps will melt the snow cover and then the ice very fast unless it is accompanied by bright sun. 

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2013 was a late spring with ice lingering late.  I wonder how this year compares with that year as far as temps and ice thickness across the state?

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

By the looks of the forcast this year might be worse. time will tell.

 

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I went back on the Ottertail forum and looked at '13 conditions.  You might be right eyeguy.  Looks like the ice went fairly quick on OT once it warmed up.

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It really depends on how many "sunny" days we have; if we'll be dodging ice bergs on opener or not. Even after a record low of 2 above last night, by 10 am this morning, that sun's energy feels great out here right now..... :D

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I doubt the low temps we are having right now are adding any new ice.  All its doing is refreezing snow that melts in the sun.  Even now with temps in the 20's and 30's snow is melting with the power of the sun.

Extended forecasts shows 50's and even some 60's for the metro area.  Add in some rain and as much sun as we can get and I'm sure everyone will be able to find a place to put a boat in.  There may be some ice on some northern MN lakes that limit options to some extent but if you look I'm sure you'll have some open water to tool around.  

 

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Well you definitely will be ice fishing  on some lakes that's for sure! Was on Osakis today drove my full size pickup out. Ice was still rock hard 36-38 inches. Its as good as it was in mid January for sure. Going to be interesting on a lot of lakes unless we get some warm temps and for sure some rain. 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Well I checked the St Cloud forecast.  2 60 degree highs on 4/28 & 4/30.  A total of 6 days where the nights stay about freezing.   I hope I'm wrong but this looks worse than 2013 where many of our lakes in central mn were still locked up opening weekend.  

 

Positive thing is long term forecast are rarely correct.  I'm hoping that it's not actually colder.  :angry:

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

3 wheel houses came out on osakis today

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I am loving it

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Looks like I will be hitting the river

And you be quiet with the loving it talk Moose

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12 hours ago, eyeguy 54 said:

3 wheel houses came out on osakis today

or more!!!  I was looking at them too...

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

couple from april 1 last year in the kayak. yak is in the backyard buried in snow right now. LOL 

41b.jpg

April 1 2017.jpg

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Glad you got the new drill! We got weeks of ice fishing yet

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Indeed:)

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On 4/7/2018 at 5:51 PM, monstermoose78 said:

Glad you got the new drill! We got weeks of ice fishing yet

Moose, your positively about our extended ice season both :grin: and :sick:!!

 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
8 minutes ago, ANYFISH2 said:

Moose, your positively about our extended ice season is both :grin: and :sick:!!

 

It’s grand to be ice fishing on 30 inches of ice on April 8

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It sure is fun ice fishing on april 8th, I would prefer, fishing thru 20" of ice in 50° temps!!

Enjoy, we may be able to ice fish in May at this pace.  

Interesting spring for sure.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

indeed, gonna be a fun week!

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • 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
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