Ice -- Any Reports?

[Guest]

I just wanted to start a topic where we could post the ice conditions around the area. Everyone is anxious to see or hear about ice, even if it is only a quarter of an inch thick. At least it's ice. Right now, the only ice I've seen is in the parking lots and on the roads. Anyone else?

[Sartell Angler]

There is ice on some small lakes in the area, but most of the larger lakes are still open. There isn't any ice thicker than 1". We need some consistent cold weather to make some ice.

[Ruegs23]

I usually know by watching lake george in st cloud. If Lake george gets some is then the larger lakes usually freeze up very soon after, but so far no ice on lake george. I did hear that there is a thin layer of ice on lake sagatagan by st johns. I have not seen it but i was told this.

[Guest]

At least some of the smaller lakes are showing a sign of freeze. We just need a few calm, cold nights. Tonight the temperatures are going to be cold, but the forecasts for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday don't look good. Hopefully the forecast is wrong and it doesn't make it above freezing. Wishful thinking would give us ice by next weekend, but it looks like it may be a little later than that. Keep the updates coming..........

[Guest]

Flyingfish, I was out fishing last night but not much luck. I lost one walleye, but sorry to say I was fishing from shore! It won't be long, it is starting to get cooler at night. I think we made some ice last night. I will keep ya posted.ScottS

[Zimm]

I drove by Big Swan, Big Birch, Long, and Pilsbury last night with no luck. Swan had a little in the catails on the west end. That is all from the Long Prairie area. Looking for hard water.
Zimm

[Guest]

As if the warm weather wasn't bad enough, this wind just took care of all the ice that had started!!ScottS

[Guest]

That's not good to hear. Are we going to have to go out of state to find ice? It's nice to know that the weather is supposed to be getting colder. Went and tried fishing the Mississippi today. Left at 11:00 when it was 45 out and it is now 34. Did manage to catch one eye and one snake....wasn't on the ice, but its a start. Just slow the wind down.......

[Guest]

Took a look at Little Rock today. The shallow south portion of the lake has just over 2". The rest of the lake froze over last night and had about 1" this morning.

[Guest]

Well I got out fishing by avon tonight didn't catch nuttin but it sure was nice to be on the ice. Can't wait till my favorite walleye lakes are ready to fish should be on them by the middle of the week beings they have about 1 inch of ice as of this morning.

[Sartell Angler]

Wall-i, what lake were you on? I know of a few around that area that are probably shallow enought to have formed around 3 inches by now. I have a haunch that it is either Achman or Sagatagan.

S.A.

[Guest]

Yes,
you are correct Sartell Angler, I was on Achman. I have never fished this lake before but it was the only lake that I could get on. Have you ever fished out there before?
I was just jigging a pimple hoping for a slimmer but didn't even mark a fish on the vex. Please reply if you know anything about this lake.

[Skeets]

Wall-i,
I got this from the DNR website:Lake Information Report

Name: ACHMAN

Nearest Town: AVON
Primary County: Stearns Survey Date: 07/14/1987
Inventory Number: 73-0125-00

Public Access Information

Ownership Type Description
Unknown Unknown NONE. ACCESS VIA PRIVATE LANDOWNERS.

Lake Characteristics

Lake Area (acres): 47.00
Littoral Area (acres): 41.00
Maximum Depth (ft): 30.00
Water Clarity (ft): 12.00

NORTHERN PIKE ARE ABUNDANT AND CATCH IS TWO TIMES THE LOCAL AVERAGE. GROWTH IS BELOW AVERAGE THROUGH THE FOURTH YEAR THE THEN BECOMES GOOD. FIFTY PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE WAS FROM THE 1983 AND 1985 YEAR CLASSES. LARGEMOUTH BASS ARE ABUNDANT AS SEEN FROM BOTH TRAPNET AND SPRING SEINE HAULS. SEVERAL YEAR CLASSES ARE PRESENT AND TROPHY FISH IN EXCESS OF FIVE PDS ARE AVAILABLE. GROWTH OF FISH CAUGHT IN SPRING SEINING IS BELOW AVERAGE FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND GOOD TO ABOVE AVERAGE THEREAFTER. BLUEGILL ARE ABUNDANT THOUGH NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED FROM 1979 SURVEY WHEN CATCH WAS 102/TRAP GROWTH IS BELOW AVERAGE UNTIL THE FOURTH YEAR WHEN IT BECOMES GOOD. FISH AVERAGE FOUR TO SIX INCHES IN LENGTH AND 50 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE WAS FROM THE 1984 YEAR CLASS. OTHER PANFISH PRESENT ARE PUMPKINSEED, BLACK CRAPPIE AND YELLOW PERCH. ONLY TWO YELLOW PERCH WERE CAPTURED IN TRAPNETS INDICATING THAT PERCH ARE NOT AS ABUNDANT AS THEY WERE IN 1979 (10 IN ONE GILLNET). HOWEVER, YOUNG OF THE YEAR WERE CAUGHT IN GOOD NUMBERS DURING SPRING SEINING. BLACK BULLHEADS HAVE DECLINED TO A LEVEL OF ABOUT 1/5 OF THEIR ABUN- DANCE OF 1979.

Hope this helps...

Skeets