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

So how is it looking up there I see weather reports are saying starting friday it's going to start to get cold in the 20's and on like next wednesday a low of 8 do we have any hope for the smaller lakes!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GRANDDAD -

It is not looking too promising. If we get the cold, coupled with a very still night, there will be a chance that some sheltered bays may freeze.

I heard reports of someone out on West Lost last weekend, but I did not see that myself. The ice looked really sick on the larger sloughs. There were a couple of guys looking at Second Silver on Sunday morning, but I am not sure if they went out or not. That ice looked terrible.

I have a spot on S. Turtle that I can usually safely get on real early, but it is private access only.

My gear is still piled up in a couple buckets in the hopes that the ice gods will make me panic next Friday to get it ready to get fishing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Gissert,for the info am on longlake right on the other side of underwood not to far from s.Turtle it's for the most part out of the wind I own a place on the lake so it's pretty easy for me to get to my honey hole!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not looking good. Small lakes are (barely) ice covered right now. With 57 degrees today and 55 tomorrow, kiss it goodbye. Then a possible snow storm in the forecast this Saturday thru Tuesday ?? and beyond doesn't help at all!
Snow will only insulate the existing ice. We need lots of cold yet to get walkable ice.

Next week looks like colder weather, so that could change things up. I will keep an eye on it, and give you a report before Thanksgiving. Maybe tell you lakes that are fishable by then???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ANY TIME YOU WANT GISSERT EARLY ICE IS THE BEST AM UP THERE EVERY WEEK END ONCE WE GET SOME ICE !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GRANDAD - Thanks. Hope for cold!

CD- I have a great first ice OT spot that usually only has one house on it. It peters out around Xmas or new years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coincidentally, that spot sounds just like mine, but houses don't start showing up until January! By that time the fish are "educated" grin.gif

When the ice gets around 7" for the ATV, 4 miles out from Pelican Bay is prime time. wink.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gee CD and Gissert,
Can I be your caddy for OT?
I can carry your buckets and junk.

[This message has been edited by biglakeba$$ (edited 11-19-2003).]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GRANDAD - I live just over 210 from you on the NW side of S. Turtle. Long is a neat looking lake, but I have never fished it.

CD- We should try and hook up this winter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, a boat would proabably be my fish house of choice right now, LOL. Hopefully this cold air that is coming will have some calm air at first. As this low pressure system passes, I bet the winds are gonna crank up on Sunday or Monday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well from the way the weather reports look all that praying to the ice GODS worked!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey CD or any one how is it looking up there is there a chance of some walkable ice on some of the small lakes by Friday

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that dosen't sound to good how much snow is on the lakes i was so hoping to go icefishing but not worth getting wet over

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GRANDDAD -

Most of the bigger lakes were still open after the snow stopped.

I am heading for home here shortly, and may have a report on S. Turtle this evening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An info would be great Gissert all be up there friday just need to no if it's going to be a waste of a trip!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we got about 4-6 inches of snow on Sunday that is on top of the ice of all the lakes that were frozen at that time. those lakes couldn't have had more than 3 inches of ice at the time, and the snow would keep it from freezing more. The lakes that froze Monday night have about 1 1/2 inches of ice right now, and it's 36 degrees outside.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stepped out S. Turtle in front of my place tonight. It was dark, so I only went out about 15 feet.

I jumped up and down, and it did not crack. I did not check with a spud bar.

I'll give it a look see in the morning after the sun comes up, and post what I find.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looked like Otter Tail was iced over this afternoon...in fact, I saw a couple guys out on the ice. They were about 100 yards (?) out, right from the City of Ottertail.

Someone else had asked about Marion Lake...that looked to be iced over, as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the lakes in OT county froze over on Monday night. The lakes that were frozen before that now have snow cover on them, which makes them more dangerous, even though they froze sooner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright Ottertail!!,

And the forcast is for 16 for a low Thursday, and 12 on Friday night.

There will be houses going out this weekend. And some sleds and 4 wheelers.
No snow on the ice, it will thicken pretty fast with those temps. I will probably be out there with them on Sunday. West end, out from the corner store/ Ken's bait area.
Good fishing ya all!!
George

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I walked out in front of my house on S. Turtle this morning.

Very nice looking, NHL quality ice. I measured two spots, both being 3 1/4 inches thick. I will probably fish later today.

I am on the NW side. Looking towards the access, I can see some spots that appear to have frozen after the section by my place. These are tradional spots that are the last to freeze.

We are going to Lenny's for the buffet later, and I will check Ottertail and the PA oc S.Turtle on the way home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My daughter and I just returned from a little ice recon mission.

The access on South Turtle is locked up, but I saw no tracks out there yet.

Bass/Elbow looked to be locked up.

I saw one portable set up on the cove on Deer lake where the river runs in.

Ottertail appears to be very unstable. The best looking ice appeared to be in the NW corner, in the Ken's Tackle area. The southern side had a lot of blow in, pancake type ice. It was white, and looked like it had moved a lot during its formation. From the Pier's deck, I could see several open spots, and lots of small pressure ridges where the ice is moving around. This guy will give Ottertail another week to settle down.

West Battle's ice looked better, but there are opes spots visable from the Shoreline cafe.

I might get out on a sheltered cove today on S.Turtle, but the bigger lakes are a bit spooky yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gissert,

Thanks for the recon, that kind of information is invaluable to those of us who have to travel a long ways to get there. I think my group has decided on Ottertail for the weekend of Dec 6th, it should be good for collapsables for sure by then. We actually are hoping good enough to get out there a good ways, we have our favorite spots, all of which are over a mile off shore. How was the buffet? I hear good things about Lenny's, my mother goes there often, she lives over near Phelps mill.
Thanks again for the info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Rook -

Lenny's was great! 8.50 for all you can eat turkey, ham, taters, stuffing, pie and salad bar. Very good quality, too. The Warden (wife) and I love their wings too. We have a baby sitter for tomorrow night and are gonna hit their meat raffle. Are you originally from the Underwood area?

IF the weather stays cold, I think the ice should be good for the 6th. I'll probably be out on the west end somewhere myself.

I have a full day tomorrow, but will fish S. Turtle on Saturday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gissert,

Yes, I was a 1978 Underwood grad, been coming back to the area a couple times a year to fish ever since. Live down near Hutchinson now.

Are you originally from the area?

Maybe I will see you on the lake next weekend. I plan to fish the sand bar straight out from Ken's bait.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rookie 8 -

Yep, I'm 1984 Underwood vintage, LOL.

I got out on S. Turtle Saturday evening. Five inches of nice clear ice, but I could see some iffy spots beyond my location.

Not sure what I will do this weekend. We'll see how the weather treats this ice. I really want to hit Ottertail if I can on Saturday.

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.